


Heat

by BleeBleep



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Alpha!Amanda, Alpha!Chloe, Alpha!Diana, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, F/F, LWA Omegaverse, Omegaverse, a rewrite of the first one actually, alpha!sucy, anyways back at it again, because apparently patriarchy reigns all in the world of magic, beta!lotte, chariot is a pretend beta, fuck yall i can bend this shit to my will, idk theres a lot of things that can change in omegaverse, imma change history too, omega!akko, that one has a lot of holes i realized, there's a huge division and prejudice in luna nova, this could also be considered as alternate universe?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:01:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 87,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26835607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BleeBleep/pseuds/BleeBleep
Summary: Heat tremors are usually indicators of an upcoming Heat, a time for omegas to be fertile, extremely hot, and well... horny. The only way to stop them is suppressants, which any known omega will take, but only at a limited amount of time.Akko, a beta-disguised omega, faces the consequences of her heat suppressants when she felt odd tremors quaking her being. Now feeling extra-cautious of alphas, she begins to hide from people since... Luna Nova is pretty much an asswipe school. Diana, being the de facto Alpha of the school as well as Akko's good friend, picks up on this, and starts playing Sherlock when she catches another strange scent in the air...
Relationships: Diana Cavendish/Atsuko "Akko" Kagari
Comments: 297
Kudos: 1195





	1. Tremors

When Akko woke up abruptly in the morning, she felt a searingly familiar shiver run down her spine. She quickly sat up, gasping quietly. Lotte and Sucy were still asleep, but the streaks of light from the curtains said that the sun was rising. 

It was peaceful, the silence of the room. She figured of going back to sleep, but as she laid back down, another shiver ran up from her core up to her neck. She sat up gasping again, eyes wide awake. Her brain abandoned any ideas of sleeping as another shiver jostled her body once more, the unexpected heat making the hairs of her hair stand. 

The shiver was familiar, something she hadn’t experienced in a while. ‘ _In a while…_ ’ Akko thinks, racking her brain in what’s causing this; then came the answer. She snatched a pouch from underneath her shared bunk bed with Lotte and took out her phone. 

She swipes down the calendar app until she finds the date of her previous heat. “No, it couldn’t have been that long--” she whispers to assure herself but the date that listed on her phone hadn’t been edited since it was inputted. 

‘ **July 1st - first heat** ’ it read, and below it was ‘ **July 12th - leaving for Luna Nova** ’. Akko felt sweat running through the crown of her hairline as she looked back at the current date: September 15th. 

It’s been a little more than a year since her last heat now. Her first heat ever, in fact, the heat that signaled of her being an omega. She hid her phone back into her pouch, zipping it shut, and got out of bed to go to the bathroom to recollect herself. 

The brunette stares at herself in the mirror; bed hair, pajamas, anxiety, and all. She grits her teeth as she tries to dismiss her nervousness. “Few more months,” she whispers to the glass. “A few more months before Christmas break, then you’ll go back home and ease it.” She grips the sink, grinning to herself. “You can do it, Akko.” 

Her voice shook, but it was still enough to collect her nerves. She can’t stay here. It’d make her restless. So the omega changes into her uniform, grabs her broom, and walks out to the courtyard to practice. Her teammates won’t notice, they already know of her morning practices anyhow. 

She spoke too soon apparently when she heard Sucy’s voice saying, “I can smell you.” 

_Well shit._ “GAH! Sucy!” Akko jumps and turns to the puce-haired witch who was sitting up from her bed, watching the omega’s every move. 

Not like Akko has any problems with that; Sucy figured Akko out the day after they were all put in the same team, Lotte even earlier (the beta confessed she had recognized the omega’s scent when she was riding with her in the Leyline portals.) But the two hadn’t told her they did until they caught her gulping down two pills after breakfast, which warranted the explanation that Akko didn’t want to do. 

So they knew of her dirty secret; the so-called _beta_ of the red team that acted as their _leader_ was actually a small omega that takes prescribed suppressants of the modern world. But they were keen on hiding Akko’s secret, and never hesitated in helping her keep it. 

And so, the omega didn’t feel nervous when the alpha’s red eyes leered at her, but rather a shock of how vigilant she was in the morning. “Your scent, Akko. It’s getting potent,” She lays back down. “Spray some of your perfume on you unless you want to get figured out.” 

Akko pouts but when she lifts her wrist to take a sniff, the unexpected scent of strawberries wisps across her nostrils and she freezes. ‘ _SHIT!_ ’ She runs to her desk and opens up her drawer to take out her Beta-scented perfume and sprayed it all over herself. 

When the Sucy nods in approval, Akko gets out of the room. As the omega jogs to the courtyard, she grips her broom in frustration, nervousness making her heart thump. “Dammit!” 

How hadn’t she realized her scent first? Then again, it was the suppressant’s job to keep both her sense of smell and scent away. She grumbles as she goes down a staircase. Her prescribed suppressants were strong enough to cancel out her sense of smell, so strong that by the time she was in her second month as an omega in hiding, her olfactory sense was useless. 

It was for the better, anyway. She’s never been strong enough to resist scents anyway, especially to _alphas_. They would only bring more to her plate of problems as an omega. 

Her little broom practice in the empty courtyard was a blur. There were a few times when Akko had fallen off again, but it was an improvement nonetheless. She counts five falls and thirteen successful attempts in getting herself in the air. Before she knew it, she was already back in her dorm and went down the cafeteria with her members in tow. 

She needed to have breakfast first before she could take her suppressants again; she learned how her stomach would rebel against her when she would take them without food in her first few months in Luna Nova. She would get nauseous easily, and it would only ruin the stale image of the red team further. 

And so, after a meal of hashbrown and eggs, the joint table of green, blue, and red team bustled in conversation about their weekends. Amanda, Barbara, and Hannah went downtown to buy items, with Amanda carrying all their bags back. Constanze spent her weekend away tinkering with her Stanbots again, and Jasminka was doing Jasminka things. Diana was in the clinic as an assistant for Professor Hoggets during the semester. While Lotte visited her parents back in Finland, Sucy and Akko were in the forest collecting herbs for the red team alpha’s new concoction.

“Ah! The two of you were out in the forest!? Ya’ guys should’ve told me!” Amanda whined and pointed at the blue team pair in disdain. “I had to stay with them the entire Saturday.” 

“Oh shush, you wouldn’t have been much help to them, Amanda,” Hannah sneers. 

Barbara adds, “Yeah, knowing you, you would’ve just trampled all of the ingredients because of your recklessness.” 

Sucy said nothing and watched how her eggs quickly rot away after a few drops of her vial, but there wasn’t any sort of stench following it. Akko pulled her plate away from the alpha quickly before turning to Diana beside her. 

“So you’re working with Professor Hoggets in the clinic now, huh Diana?” The omega smiles and takes another bite of her eggs. “That’s so cool! Did you heal a lot of people?” 

The blue team alpha chuckled. “A few; it’s mostly students having aches here and there. If anything, being Professor Hogget’s assistant is just doing paperwork. Though it do...” 

Another wave. This time it was stronger. Akko froze as a shiver of heat jostled her body again, starting in her core and to the ends of her hair, goosebumps breaking out against her skin. Her fork fell from her grasp and clanged on the plate, making her tablemates look at her. _Oh no._

Diana stares at her in concern. “Akko?” 

The pretend-beta stands up from her seat instantly, trying her best to stop her face from reddening. “S-Sorry guys, I have to go to the bathroom for a bit! BYE!” As she nearly trips on the way to the double doors, she spots Professor Chariot who was waving a good-morning. As the older witch was going to greet her student, the brunette cuts her off, “ _MorningProfessornotimetotalkIgottagobye_!”

The professor was caught off-guard by the brunette’s outburst, but then again, that was just Akko in the morning, ever so energetic. As Chariot brushes it off, something catches her attention, making her freeze. An omega’s scent. She turns to its direction and all she sees are the closing double doors of the cafeteria. 

Amanda blinks as she watches Akko run away, leaving dust in her wake. “What’s her deal?” 

“It’s probably a stomachache,” Lotte quickly answers, standing up to follow the brunette. “I’ll go see if she’s alright.” 

“Really?” Diana stands up, worry bubbling up in her chest as Lotte starts to leave. “I’ll go with you then. Perhaps I can help.” 

“She’s fine, Cavendish,” Sucy stops her, not looking away from the contents of her plate. Diana pauses as she continues, “Lotte can help her by herself. Just wait for Akko in class if you’re that concerned.” 

The blue team alpha frowns. While she had no reason to not trust the puce-haired witch, she couldn’t help but still be concerned about what's happening to Akko. Looking at her face, the brunette had suddenly flushed and plain froze on the spot. Diana sits back down and looks down at her and Akko’s plate, wondering what had the brunette look so… _red_.

  
  


*** 

  
  


Akko took deep breaths as she held the porcelain sink hard, gathering her composure. _Not now, not now!_ She needs to hold it off until a few more months when she can go back to Japan and spend her heat under her old room’s security. Her suppressants are probably enough to last her until December. Hopefully. 

She looks back in the mirror and sees herself looking red as if she’s having a fever. She slaps herself. _Get a grip!_ It hasn’t even started yet! Just take a higher dose, it’ll probably ward off, no matter how young you are and how potent you may seem! 

The brunette sighs and splashes water on her face, frustratingly washing away the red dusting on her face before she hears the door creak open. “Hey, Lotte,” she greets, already knowing who those light footsteps belonged to. 

“Akko, are you alright?” the beta placed a gentle hand on the omega’s shoulder when she was beside her. “You’ve been restless since morning.” 

“I’m fine, Lotte,” Akko assures her, more to herself really. “It’s just… I’ve been feeling weird.” 

There was an awkward pause, then Lotte replied, “Weird, as in something that relates to your…” she gestures to Akko’s stomach. Akko nods, to which Lotte turned paler. “ _Oh, gods_. Akko, how long has it been?” 

The sudden panic rising in the beta’s voice startles Akko. “It hasn’t been that long!” she defends, “It’s not until a few more months, ‘kay? I’m gonna ask my doctor if I can switch to a higher dose until then. Don’t worry about me.” 

The smile the omega gave her didn’t reassure Lotte at all, nope. While Akko was one of the most trustworthy people she knew, she knew she couldn’t just ‘don’t worry’ when it was _Akko_. As much charisma as she had, her stubbornness gave good as it got. Lotte had battled the same stubbornness ever since she met the brunette and she wasn’t about to stop now. 

“Akko,” she made the omega turn to meet her eyes. “I know you’re trying to keep a secret. And I support you on that. Really, I do and I would never out you, especially under Luna Nova’s circumstances. But this is your _own health_ , Akko. What’s going on in there,” she gestures to pretty much all of her, “Isn’t going to stop. So please, think about it. Switching to a higher dosage isn’t going to change it!”

Akko grumbles, turning away from Lotte. “Just give me time, okay!?” she reaches down to her pocket, takes out her perfume, and sprayed it around herself again. She looks at Lotte then, a familiar spark of determination glowing in her eyes. “Trust me on this.”

The red team beta held the omega’s gaze, finding any sort of nervousness in her face. While she couldn’t see it, she knew it was there somewhere. But knowing Akko, she wanted to avoid any sort of confrontation about her secondary gender anyhow, so she lets go of her shoulders. 

“Okay. I trust you, Akko.” Lotte whispered, finally relenting and she sees the way Akko’s shoulders slump in relief.

“Thanks, Lotte,” the omega sighs and starts to walk towards the door. 

“No problem,” the beta smiles at her and follows her out. “Now let’s go back to the dorm to get your suppressants before we get late to class.”

***

Upon normal consumption, a single scent-suppressant pill was enough to cover an omega for 36 hours, longer if said omega avoids confrontation with alphas as their scents can trigger to release their own.

So for good measure, Akko would drink about two pills to last her for the week and completely shut off her sense of smell. But with a looming heat... 

Akko stares at the four tablets at the center of her palm. Her doctor had warned her not to use more than two weekly, otherwise, she would be inviting liver damage and potential nausea for weeks. The brand wasn’t the strongest for an omega to use, since she’s still a child after all, but the temptation of buying the stronger ones was strong. But it wasn’t the weekend yet, and she’s sure as hell wasn’t about to go to the basement and clip brooms again, so she settles for four pills of suppressants for now. 

Gathering courage, the omega throws the tablets in and gulps it down with a glass of water, careful not to have it move down the wrong hatch. After (successfully, thank god) swallowing it without choking to death, Akko quickly gets out of the bathroom and sees her teammates waiting for her. 

She gestures if they can smell her anymore. They shake their heads in response, and they leave the dorm with a tick of the clock signaling classes are about to start, and they haul ass in the hallways. 

Surprisingly enough, there wasn’t another problem with Akko’s heat for another month, which she was thankful and proud of. She was still aware of the looming heat, however, and so the omega continued with her four-pills-per-week agenda but aside from a few occasions of having no appetite, nothing went wrong. 

The red team went back to their dynamic in the New Nine, but after what happened to Akko, they lay low hanging around either Amanda or Diana, as they were the closest alphas to Akko. Sucy was already a given, and no other alphas seemed to bother getting close to the brunette. 

The brunette stared at her calendar as she counted down the months to December. _‘It's gonna be okay,’_ she thinks to herself, smiling broadly. ‘ _Just ignore it in the meantime. Right now you have a flying lesson with Professor Chariot!’_

The beta-scented perfume sprayed against her scent gland tickled her skin, but now at least she smelled decent. She snatches her broom from the corner and goes down the empty hall. It was another one of their 5 AM practices, and by the time Akko reached the New Moon Tower, the professor was already there. 

They tackled gliding this time. When Akko successfully got herself afloat, Professor Chariot quickly led her around the tower, aiming, going higher and higher whilst. The younger witch needed to keep her momentum as she got higher, which for other witches might be a breeze, for Akko it was literally trying to fight against the fierce winds. 

Chariot turned back to see her student carefully following her from behind, the wind slapping her hair against her face, troubling her sights. The older witch went slower. “Are you okay, Akko?”

The pretend-beta nods, swiping her hair back behind, and grinned at her reassuringly. “Y-Yeah! This is nothing, Professor!” 

Chariot smiles fondly at the beta's display of confidence. A year ago, this same student was hopeless in the most basic of spells witches would learn. Just even lifting herself off the ground was a near-impossible task hadn’t it been for her friends. Now, with the same confidence, she was slowly but surely flying around the air without any sort of help but her own magic that she cultivated by herself over time. Proudly, she says, “Good. Just don’t look down and you’ll be fine, Akko! Follow my lead!” 

The older witch sped up a bit, which startled the pretend-beta, but after concentrating, she was at the same distance from her as before. They reached the highest floor, where the light of the Philosopher's stone glowed a pretty teal. Akko was enchanted by how bright it was before she heard Chariot say, “And… _down_!”

Startled again, the younger witch watches her glide down the tower, even faster than before. Akko was stunned before quickly got her nerves back. _Follow her_. She grips her broom harder and glided down in the same manner, steadily building speed. When she covered the same distance again, she smiled at her progress.

Chariot looks back and sees how Akko had managed to keep up with her, the light of the sunrise hitting her eyes, lighting it a bright red. She nods in approval, deciding that today’s lesson had already shown merits. 

As they went lower, Akko could finally breathe easy, the air becoming fuller. She wipes the working sweat on the side of her head, satisfied with the progress she had with her flying. They were still so high up, maybe forty feet? They would go for another two more laps before ending the lesson. After that would be breakfast. Hopefully, the cafeteria has something better than hash browns this ti--

Akko gasps, feeling a sudden full-bodied shiver quaking her being. ‘ _It’s… It’s strong!_ ’ was the last thing she thinks before a haze misted over her higher mind, losing sight of the professor in front of her. Her arms started shaking like it was jelly against the wind, feeling feverish as a heat that started from her stomach traveled up to her face. 

‘ _No. No no no no no nononono--_ ’ the brunette thinks as she blinks through the haze, her temperature abruptly rising.

Noticing her student suddenly slowing down behind her, Professor Chariot looks back to see, and she smells it-- _an omega_? And it seems to be coming right from... Akko. Chariot was aghast as she watched her student suddenly shivering like a leaf, blinking rapidly as if she had something in her eyes, face turning a feverish red. 

The redhead's eyes widened in shock, her suspicions proving true but she had something else to take mind of. _What was happening? She was fine just a while ago!_ “Akko! Akko, are you okay!?”

The professor’s voice pulled Akko out of the mist in her head, looking up to see her mentor slowly. Her arms felt like jell-o, but she still tried to push herself up and lead herself towards her. “Prof...fes..sor?” 

Suddenly, her strength buckled and she couldn't hold herself upright on her broom anymore. Then her arms let out, yelps in pain and lets go. 

Chariot gasps as she sees her student suddenly go limp from her broom, falling headfirst like a ragdoll. “AKKO!” she screams before barreling down towards her at her highest speed. It’s a few meters off the ground before she finally snatches Akko’s wrist. 

When Chariot made contact with the skin, the first thing she noticed was that it was _warm_. Incredibly warm. Chariot slowly goes down as she stares at her student incredulously. Akko slowly opened her eyes to see the professor looking at her from her broom, the fever making it hard for her to focus beyond her. 

The scent, the warm skin-- Chariot’s mind was in overdrive as she pieced what's happening together. When they got on the ground, the redhead quickly crouched down to let the brunette fall into her arms. 

_It can't be_ , Chariot thinks as she slowly lifts Akko up. Wiping her bangs away from her face, she could see and _feel_ how feverish the brunette had suddenly become. The scent around her changed as well. While Akko normally smelled less enticing, this… _this_ was different. It's almost as if she was… she was… 

"Akko…” Chariot whispers as the brunette shivered in her arms again. “Are you in heat?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, hey! This is awkward, seeing me again with a similar work of the previous one (it's still not deleted btw.) But considering the many darn holes that thing had, I knew I had to remake it into something more... in-depth. So this fic will hopefully make up all the things that the previous fanfic lacks. Also, I changed some things about the characters, but they're all minor anyway, don't think much about it. :)))
> 
> Also thanking the great Aevumace again for beta-reading this and giving me tips and the confidence to write this! You fucking rock, you back-pain riddled millennial!


	2. History

_Alphas were the more exceptional beings in terms of magic. They were the quintessential vessels; they were stronger and bigger, thus allowing them to withstand magic to its highest form. Along with their primal blood that allowed far deeper control, they were able to cultivate and retrieve magic from the Philosopher's stone to their own bodies, unlike Betas and Omegas whose bodies are usually weaker, thus needing other vessels to take magic from._

_It was said in the legends that Nine Founding Witches of Luna Nova Academy were alphas, and to create a school that trains and cultivates magic to its peaks, they only allowed alpha students to enroll as they were the only dynamic strong enough to participate in the training that the academy applied in its curriculum._

_So during its first few hundred years, Luna Nova reigned as one of the top schools for witches, and it was the target list of any alpha witches that wanted to learn magic. Even after nearly two-thousand years, it still is to this day._

* * *

Akko scrolled further down the article, one hand on the mouse and the other on her cat on her lap. She found herself on a little page about Luna Nova Academy, with the article being written by an anonymous ‘C.M.’ 

The article was… interesting, to say the least. Not something a fourteen year-old like her would read but it was interesting. And besides, if Akko wanted to join the academy where Shiny Chariot was in, she needed to know something about its background, right?

* * *

_However, the world of magic was progressing fast. After 400 years of training more witches to pass and cultivate the magic of the Great Nine, it was getting clear that their methods and curriculum was becoming unprogressive. After hundreds of years of training alpha witches to their peak, the school became a den of raging, territorial alphas, fueled by pride and rivalry._

_Cases of bullying starts to ensue, which soon evolved into hazing. Then the unthinkable happened when one of the Nine Olde Witches’ descendants got into a witch duel with another student, prompting a homicide for blasting a powerful murowa spell against the other._

_The academy was hell for anybody who enrolled. Yet the young witches yearned for blood the same. But then came a bigger problem for Luna Nova._

_A war between two opposing races began, where alpha witches were sent against the dragons of Arcturus forest. The great war of dragons and witches._

_Legends said that the war had broken out when the Fire Lord was convicted of murder for the descendants of the Great Witch Jennifer, which the society of witches took great offense; killing an entire family that had directly descended under one of the major founders of magic was something that the councils could not overlook. It hadn’t been easier when the said descendants were once students of Luna Nova._

_And so, the bloodshed between them began; dragons wrecking havoc into witch schools and alpha witches hunting down dragon nests. The war lasted for twenty years, only completely ending when the Fire Lord finally conceded defeat and willingly let go of Arcturus Forest in exchange to avoid killing off more of their kind. There, Woodward made truce and used the Grand Triskelion to end the war._

_The witches won._

_However, what the witches were left from the war was stark to none. While they had conquered the land that the dragons had, it was far too dangerous for any witch to stay there, even for the veterans. And Luna Nova, having gambled off their students into war, was left with searing facilities and ruined financials._

_And their students who did survive the war, the killing machines, were seen to be no longer fit in the new society of witches. As the world of magic dusted itself off the ashes of the war, the council had decided they no longer needed any more vicious alpha witches roaming around for blood. So, the council orders for the hunt of feral alpha witches and Luna Nova to suspend for several years._

_Come the next few decades, the alpha populations declined severely._

* * *

Akko’s lip quivered in fear as an old drawing of a dragon being tied down by witches follows under the paragraph. It was intimidating to know that Luna Nova’s students back then were capable of killing _dragons_. 

It should amaze Akko, inspire her even, but as she continues to read down the page, all she felt was a growing ball of fear, ready to consume her. Instead of thinking how she could be like them, she wonders if those same witches were alive right now. She wonders if they could snap her neck just as easily as a twig.

* * *

_When the academy started a new year again, the number of freshmen weren’t even half of what it was ten years ago, so the council knew they needed to expand outside of the alphas, especially with their current financial state._

_But even in the heat of decision, omegas weren’t an option; they couldn't last a week in the hostile environment and their chemistry with alphas would only cause trouble._

_So the school only took in beta students. They weren’t as primarily strong as alphas, nor were they the most durable vessel of magic, the council decided to change the courses to fit for the two dynamics. It wasn't as hard as it used to be, but it kept betas at their toes and alphas in fit._

_The new age of Luna Nova's students brought a fresh breath of air into the environment. Beta students weren’t as territorial as alpha students, and they had a much more progressive mind in learning magic. After a few decades, the cases of hazing and discrimination dropped drastically. Soon enough, the school began accepting both betas and alphas all across the globe._

_However, in almost 1000 years, Luna Nova had yet to open its gates to omegas. They were still looked down and rejected. And were a supposed-beta student present themselves as omega, they were kicked out immediately, or worse, hung in the courtyard._

* * *

Akko gasped.

That’s it. That’s enough for today. The brunette closes her laptop shut, heart thumping against her ears as she dives into bed. She tries to go to sleep to ward off any thoughts of the article she had read. But the image of a war still remains behind her eyes. 

When an hour goes by, and sleep was nowhere for Akko, she gets up and does something she hasn’t done in years.

Creeping up to her parent’s door, she whispers out, “Mom?”

A rustle on the sheets and she sees her mother sitting up groggily. Dad was out for a business trip so she was the only one who the brunette could find comfort in. “Akko? What are you doing up so late?”

“I… I read something,” she whispers, and the older omega picks up her pup’s discomfort from her scent. 

The omega pats on the empty spot on the bed, beckoning her daughter to sit. When Akko climbed into bed, she asks, “What did you read?”

“About Luna Nova and… and its history,” she shuffles around her spot, picking up her father’s pillow and inhaling his scent. “The school joined a war and… and they hate omegas.” 

“Oh, Akko,” her mother opens her arms and Akko dives right in, enveloped in her mother’s comforting scent. She runs a hand through her hair. “No one could hate anybody so much. And a war…” A pause, then the hand resumes. “Well, I’m sure there’s nothing going on right now. And it’s still your dream, Akko. Even if you do present as an omega, there will always be kind people out there to help you. Understand?”

Akko nods, feeling sleepy already under her mother’s voice. “I guess… Luna Nova is also accepting omega students now…” 

* * *

_In the late 1800s, the feminist movement had begun, and under its umbrella was also the suppression of omegas. Riots against alpha-only facilities started. Omega witches who learned magic illegally raided against the gates of Luna Nova, demanding the right of education and rebuking the school’s biased style of alpha-supremacy. The first few years were bloodshed since the omegas rioting were quickly hanged or killed off._

_It wasn’t until Miranda Holbrooke, the 75th Headmistress of Luna Nova, had proposed for Magical Law Order no.389, “Equality Of Omegas” in the early 1950s, when the movement finally bore its fruits after so many years._

_Under the Dynamic’s section, an Omega shall now have equal rights as the two higher genders._

_Should an Omega be discriminated and denied against by their secondary-gender alone, they have the right to ask for retribution and send the offender into a trial. Slavery of omega-witches is now illegal, and all sorts of trafficking of omegas are punishable by death. Rape, unconsented sex, or any type of sexual harassment against Omegas are also punishable by death._

_When the law was passed, it still took a bit of time for magical society to take in the account that omegas were finally participating in the same leagues of magic as them. Opportunities arose for omegas and finally, for the first time, they can breathe openly in the streets without a bow to their heads._

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Her first heat happened some days after her 16th birthday. It abruptly occurred one afternoon when Akko suddenly felt feverish. She began to take her parent’s clothes from their dresser and draped it across her bed along with her stuffed animals. Then the rest of that was a blur.

The one single thing she remembered was that her mother was there to comfort her during that feverish nightmare. Her pheromones soothed her immensely and she was the only person who could convince Akko to eat during her heat. 

Akko had learned that she was an omega the morning after her first heat. While her parents may have been happy with that tiny tidbit, she, on the other hand, felt anything but happy. Instead, disappointment and dread started to coil in her stomach, pulling itself tighter and tighter until she felt it snap and anxiety began to fill her. 

A memory of an old article on Luna Nova’s history resurfaced in her mind and she felt like curling into a ball and just… cry. 

But no. Not now, not yet. She just has to swallow this and face facts that her blasted genetics didn’t come out the way it could’ve gone. Of course, there were already signs of her being an omega before; she takes after her mother so much, so it’s not surprising. And while she grew at the same rate as her peers before, she was always on the smaller side. And besides her parents look **_goddamn happy_ ** that she can’t cry now. 

Whatever reason was, all she knows is that she doesn’t need to show disdain of her presentation now because her parents are in front of her and _she can’t she can’t she can’t she can’t--_

“Akko, stay there for a bit. I’ve got something to give you.” her father told her all of the sudden and left for upstairs.

The youngest Kagari briefly wonders what her father was doing before a warm hand takes hers. “Atsuko,” the voice of her mother makes her look up. “Judging by how silent you are, I’m assuming you have something in your mind?”

Akko purses her lips together and looks down instead. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay. But always remember this Akko,” she feels her mother’s warm arms around her body again. “Know we will always support and love you no matter what.”

When Akko sniffed, the pheromones she smelled from during her heat came rushing back, her _mother’s_ pheromones, and she couldn’t help but just plain _cry_. 

She was scared. So, so scared. She already took Luna Nova’s written entrance exam. She already received her acceptance letter. She had a dorm situated there and probably a team. She was so close, so close to achieving her dream. _But then her whole being-an-omega thing threw a monkey wrench and just--_

“Akko?” her father’s voice stopped her from almost bawling right in the living room and she looked up to see one of her many gifts that they were going to shower her the whole week.

It was a ridiculously large rabbit plush wrapped in a red ribbon. It was a gift, her father explained, for both her and her parents themselves; the cotton and material of it were strong and sustained scents for longer than a year. So if Akko could scent-mark it for a while, it would be a nice thing for her to leave behind in case they ever miss her during her term in Luna Nova.

Right then, Akko knew her parents really did love her. They knew then what her problems were without her even telling them. They knew she wasn’t about to back out from her dreams now, even with her irreversible circumstances. 

Thus, the rest of the days before her departure for Britain, she was checked up, cared for, and showered with countless gifts. Her father ecstatically bought her plenty of omega items such as strawberry and sakura-scented oils, perfumes, pretty much anything that makes her scent last longer and sweeter. Her mother, on the other hand, berated her husband for buying such potent brands. Instead, she bought her differently scented perfumes and scent-blockers and quickly schooled Akko into the different techniques of making herself as subtle as possible from alphas.

The first thing Akko learned was changing her diet; no meat, especially red meat. If her odor becomes worse, that includes her scent. The next was shaving and getting rid of any hair around her person to avoid getting sweat to last since the hair would often stick to the most prominent scent glands. Another thing she should learn is to correctly bathe herself with the special soaps. The other lessons were picking out the correct suppressants and what’s not to do around alphas in case she ever gets triggered. But one thing should always stick: _hide when in heat_.

When the day of departure came, Akko’s scent was completely covered and sealed away. _It’s almost as if you hadn’t presented as omega at all,_ her father said when they rolled her bags at the entrance of the airport. Before Akko turned for the lobby, however, he started to cry about how much his little girl grew up. 

After much convincing to let her go, her father eventually did but not before a quick kiss on her forehead and a reminder to send them letters always. When he leaves for the car, she was by herself then. 

She remembers her mother’s lessons. Now all she needs to do is keep her scent this way. Hopefully long enough until she masters magic and finally, _finally_ , she gets to meet Shiny Chariot personally.

Akko turns to the lobby with her plane tickets in hand, convinced that even if she were an omega in Luna Nova, _she would absolutely not let anyone know._

  
  


***

  
  


_She fucked up. She fucked up_ **_big time_ ** _._

“Akko…” she hears Professor Chariot whisper through the haze. “Are you in heat?”

Those four simple words were like a knife slicing through the feverish fog in her brain and stabbed right through her omega. Sirens rang in her head as she realized what’s happening.

_Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, oh shit--_ Akko used every bit of her strength to push away the professor, quickly jumping on her feet. Even that alone was hard considering how out of breath she was, but she still needs to resolve _whatever the fuck she’s got into this time_. “Prof-Professor Chariot!” she says hoarsely as another shiver wracked through her body again and she almost falls down from the fire of her skin. “This isn’t what you think!”

Chariot’s eyes rounded as she watched her student wobble away from her. If she concentrates, she could sense the uncomfortable pheromones that Akko was unknowingly producing. “Akko, calm down!” she quickly recovers from being pushed away and snatches the brunette’s warm wrist again. 

Akko gasps and she wrestles against Chariot’s grip, but the older witch was much stronger. “Professor, please let go!” she cries in a futile attempt to get the professor away from what she already knew. The panic of her higher mind made her desperate. “I’m fine! I’m not in heat, I swear! I’m not- _I’m not_ \--” 

Chariot quickly feels the brunette’s body becoming warmer and erratic. “Akko, please!” Chariot tries to tell her but the brunette begins to stubbornly turn away from her face, refusing to look at her eyes while wailing ‘no’. The redhead slowly pulls out her wand as Akko begins to push her away again. “I said--” she wills a small spell and the tip of her wand starts to glow green, “ _Calm down!”_

She quickly places the cancellation spell behind the brunette’s neck, harsher than what she intended but it did just the trick. The panic in Akko’s eyes melted away as she froze when the tip of the wand hits the base of her skull, right on her coniguim glandis, the bundle of nerves where her hormones are probably dispersing strong omega pheromones. Chariot watches carefully as Akko’s face pales from its red and the brunette slumps back into her arms again, her scent and fever retreating as the spell does its work. 

When she was sure that Akko was sleeping, Chariot retracts her wand back, her gears turning as she wonders what might’ve triggered Akko’s heat all of the sudden. But one thing’s for sure, she’s not going to let Akko stay out like this. Not when her scent could probably attract an alpha a mile away. 

So Chariot quickly gathers both of their brooms and makes way to her office, making a mental note to brush away the collecting dust of her scent-blocking curtains. And she probably needs to contact Miss Yansson and Miss Manbavaran quickly. 

  
  


***

  
  


The blinds shut the sight of Luna Nova’s sunrise, its thickness masking away the scent currently emanating from the omega on Chariot’s bed. Alcor was watching the girl sleep, albeit tiredly because honestly, how many times has he been babysitting this same human? The professor was brewing tea again, but it seemed different. Instead of dipping the water with a bag, she pressed several dried leaves into a french press, the color turning into a reddish amber color.

Chariot poured the contents into a cute teacup before finally adding a small red lily flower to top it. That’s when Alcor recognized the smell; it seemed to bring him back to the days when it was _her_ drinking that in Luna Nova. Alcor beckons down and starts to peck on the sleeping brunette’s forehead. 

_Tok! Tok! Tok!_

Something was tapping against Akko’s forehead, annoying her. When she tried to move, it felt as if her entire body had pins and needles. “Ugh…” she moans into the pillow, moving nonetheless. She hears a ruffling of feathers and familiar footsteps before she opens her eyes and sees Professor Chariot standing over her with a cup of tea in her hands.

At the sight of her mentor, memories from moments ago smacked Akko into shock again. She sits up quickly, her vision briefly showing dots before she shakes her head and focuses on the redhead. The burst of energy from the brunette made Chariot smile, albeit a small one. “Good morning again, Akko.”

“Pro-Pro-Professor!” Akko cried, panic rising in her chest as the redhead settled in a chair in front of her, the cup of tea left on the table of Akko’s side. When her hands were empty, Akko quickly latched into her arms shakily, looking down at her lap as tears swelled in her eyes. “Please! Please don’t tell anyone!”

“What? Oh dear,” Chariot mutters as she pulls the crying omega into her arms, surprising the brunette. “Tell anyone what, Akko?”

“My… My blunder… earlier,” Akko whispers, her heart thumping so loudly that she was sure it was going to leave a tight ringing. “You caught my scent… right?”

The redhead was silent for a bit, pondering what to answer to the girl. After rubbing comforting circles on her back that eased the omega from her crying, she answers, “Yes. Yes, I did, Akko.”

Akko froze at that, becoming still as a rock as she felt her heart almost stopping, expecting the professor to push her away now, like what she did to her moments ago. Yet even with her secret revealed, she still feels the professor’s hand rubbing circles on her back, comforting her. She buries her face further into the crook of the professor’s neck. “Please don’t tell anyone. Please, Professor.”

Chariot smiles and nods, because of course, “I will, Akko. You don’t have to worry. Your secret is safe with me.”

The omega sniffs and clings to her robes before the professor pulls away from her and takes the teacup from the table. She hands it to her and says, “Here. Drink it up while it’s hot.”

“Um, thank you, Professor Chariot,” Akko whispers, taking it by its saucer before she-- surprisingly-- smelled it. It smelled dry and bitter, with something spicy in it. Akko pauses as she eyes the tea with a pretty red flower floating atop of it and turns to Chariot. “Uh, what kind of tea is this?” 

“It’s called _Calor Cessat_ ,” Chariot answers. “It’s a medicinal tea for omegas. It doesn’t cover your scents but it does stop heat tremors from occurring.”

“Oh,” Akko whispers, seeing her reflection on the steamy drink as she takes a deep breath and for the first time in months, she could _finally_ smell something. “So that thing from earlier…”

Chariot nods. “That was a heat tremor. A strong one. I thought you were about to go into heat right there.”

Groaning, Akko lifts the tea up and takes short sips, disdainfully swallowing the bitter liquid. Bitter than any potion Sucy has given her, which in itself was a great feat. When she was halfway through the drink, she sticks her tongue out in disgust. “ _Blegh!_ Professor, what did you put in here?”

_There’s the Akko I know,_ Chariot smiles. “Just a few _anulador_ leaves and mint. The bitter flavor mostly comes from that little lily flower. Its essence is going to be the one keeping your heat at bay for the next several days.”

“The flower?” Akko touches the red lily carefully before taking another sip again. When she was finished, Chariot takes the cup away and magicks it away to her desk. “ _Bleh!_ It’s so bitter. Omegas drink that to keep their heats from occurring?”

“Hmm, most witch omegas, yes. But enough about that. We need to discuss something more… Urgent,” Chariot’s voice suddenly lows. Akko flinched; she heard that tone enough times to know that the professor was going to drop something on her. “Akko. Do you know why you’re getting heat tremors?”

And there it was. Akko frowns and turns to her front. She didn’t even have to think about the answer. “It’s an indicator. It tells me that my heat is coming.”

“Correct,” Chariot nods in approval. Then continues, “But what I’m asking is why did you get a tremor as strong as that?”

The brunette stills from the question, her lips pursing. _She’s right,_ Akko thinks as she racks her head on anything that she did to get such a blow. She goes back to her previous weeks when she was doing anything that involved with alphas she knew; as far back as the first time she felt heat tremors, nothing had gone wrong because, after that fiasco, she had been drinking four suppressant pills every week and avoided alphas--

Akko gasps as the bewildering thought comes to piece her situation. It felt like she was struck by lightning. 

She drank four suppressant pills. _Weekly_. 

After a moment, the brunette uneasily croaks, “I… I think it was because… I upped my suppressant dosage.”

“What!?” The yell from Chariot made Akko look up to her surprised gaze, suddenly afraid again. “You mean you drank more than what was prescribed to you?”

“I-I thought it was fine, Professor!” Akko quickly defends. “After my first few heat tremors, I drank more because I thought it’ll go away. And it did!”

Chariot felt her lip quiver in fear as she asks, “By ‘more’, how much did you add?”

Akko pauses, wondering if she should say this but with the professor looking at her like that, it quickly crumbled her resolve. “My doctor said I could only drink two pills weekly,” A gasp. “Then I got scared and… it became four.”

Another gasp. “Oh, Akko!” Chariot whispered, disbelief written all over her face. She quickly places a hand over the younger witch's smaller one and sighs after letting it sink into the atmosphere, the guilt burying Akko. “It’s a miracle your body withstood that amount of suppressants for so long. Why didn’t you consult anybody?”

“Because!” Akko suddenly snaps. There wasn’t much else to hide from the older witch anyway. “Because I was scared I was going to get found out! Professor, you know what this academy is like! I already had my plate full in my first year because I was an outsider! I was so horrible at magic that people made fun of me! How much more if people found out that I’m an _omega_?”

Chariot stares as her student’s eyes begin to turn glassy, tears threatening to fall again. She bites the inside of her cheek as she sees herself in the younger witch; another omega in hiding in Luna Nova’s den of alphas. Before she knew it, she already had Akko in her arms again, squeezing her tight. “You could’ve told _me_ , Akko.”

The brunette was pressed into Chariot’s neck again, making her nose the older woman’s robes before recognizing the scent. It was similar to hers, only it was a tad dull because of the suppressants professors were supposed to use in school, but there was no mistaking; it was an omega’s.

Akko felt tears well in her eyes again and she started to cry, sobbing, “I’m so sorry, Professor. I was-- I was just _so scared_ of people finding out and-- and--”

“Sshh…” the older omega shushed her, running a hand through her brown locks, releasing sweet calming pheromones for the younger omega. “It’s okay, Akko. Your reason is absolutely valid.” Akko sniffles again and clings to her robes.

The only sounds filling the professor’s office were the brunette’s sniffles, and it wasn’t long before it dwindled down to silence. By now, the sun had already risen up and students were probably in the cafeteria getting breakfast. So it should be about time _those two_ would show up. 

And as if on cue to Chariot’s thoughts, the door opens with a banging slam and comes in a very distressed Finnish beta. 

“ _AKKO_!” Lotte screamed, sweat trickling down her throat as she carried an orb on her right hand where Chariot had sent a message to her regarding Akko. The vein in her head seemed to pop. Quickly finding the omega on the bed with the professor, she dashes to her side immediately. “Akko! Oh, my gods, we were so worried, Professor Ursula-- I mean, Professor Chariot suddenly sent us a message about you going into heat! Are you okay, are you hurt anywhere?” 

The omega pulls the beta’s hands off from her face as Lotte continuously looked for any hints that Akko had fallen hurt. “I’m fine, Lotte!” she says and spots the slouching pink mop of hair at the entrance. She attempts a wave. “Hey, Sucy!”

It seemed that there was a tic in the red team alpha’s eye as she slowly shuffled inside. Chariot left the spot next to Akko and proceeded to her desk, smiling at the fond view of the red team together before going back to her orb. She thinks that maybe it was for the best that she contacts _her_ again, for Akko’s sake. 

When the puce-haired witch was close enough to the omega, she lifts one of her hands up and then-- _BAM_!

Akko flinched as the hand came down on her head. “Ow! What the-- Sucy!”

“Don’t,” _Bam!_ “Make,” _Bam!_ “Us,” _Bam!_ “Wor--” _Bam!_ “Ried,” _Bam!_ “Like,” _Bam!_ “That!”

“Ow-- Crap-- Okay, I get it!” Akko grabs Sucy’s wrist before she could hit her again. “Will you stop that now?”

The alpha growls and pulls her hand away. “For now.”

Akko pouts at her before she feels Lotte’s hand on her shoulder. “But really Akko, we were so scared when Professor Chariot suddenly messaged us that you were going into heat. We ran here as fast as we could, but at least you’re looking okay.”

“Yeah, okay enough that she seems ready to drink my new potion, yeah?” Sucy snarks, pulling out a new green vial from her robe. At the sight of the brightly colored potion, the brunette flinches. 

But as quick as the vial had appeared, it was quickly snatched away by a bright green glow. “Oh no, she’s not,” Chariot chirps as she walks over to them, wand drawn. “Akko should not consume anything else but food, water, and tea for the next few weeks. Now, you two already know about Akko’s situation, correct?” The other red team members nodded. “Good. So earlier this morning, Akko experienced an awfully strong heat tremor that could be considered as a mild heat. And heat tremors as strong as that can only indicate one thing; an upcoming heat.

So I have a request for the both of you; keep your eyes on Akko at all times. Heat tremors are erratic and occur at any time. Your job is to make sure Akko avoids those things. An alpha’s scent and presence are one of the factors of triggering a tremor, or worse, a full heat. Sucy, you’ll fend off any alphas that come near Akko, right?”

The way the redhead had smiled at the puce-haired witch made her raise her chin and look away. As if she had any other thoughts than getting Akko _the fuck away_ from other alphas. She relents a nod nonetheless. “Okay.”

Chariot nods in satisfaction. “Good. Akko?” she turns to the brunette in question.

“Yes?”

“Do you have any plans this weekend?” When the younger witch shook her head, Chariot smiled. “Good, because I’ve booked you an appointment with a friend of mine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I absolutely hated writing this with every fiber of my being. Y'all can take whatever the history thing to y'all asses, I'm tired.


	3. Different

Amanda was  _ bored _ out of her mind these past few weeks. 

Her teammates had other stuff to do; Constanze was with her robots and Jasminka went back home for a baking contest. And of course, since they’re all second-year students in Luna Nova now, that meant the red team was also busy with stuff they should do, absolutely avoiding her. Blue team, even worse. While Hannah and Barbara were decent folks, she found herself wayyyy too often in seeing them, and they only met in like, between classes. Teasing Cavendish was much funnier back then but that aristocrat had her schedule packed. 

“Man… maybe I should just go broom practicing or something.” The green team alpha muttered to herself, walking down the hall to her dorm. 

As she was about to touch her door’s handle, a primal shock of instinct whacked her brain. She freezes, mouth-watering because  _ holy shit, what is that  _ **_smell_ ** _?  _

Broom practice forgotten, the redhead let her alpha mind take over, following the direction of the scent. As Amanda sniffs the enticing air, she felt something warm churn in her core, making her alpha follow whatever amazing shit there was. 

_ Strawberries, with strange foreign accents and citrusy blooms here and there _ . A stray string of drool was wiped away by her sleeve as she saw herself getting led towards… the red team’s room. 

_ It’s there. Something’s in there. _

Driven by the want-- no,  _ need _ to get close to that wonderful scent, she tries to turn the door to get in but  _ fucking shit, of course, it’s locked _ . Growling to be denied such a thing, Amanda knocked (banged) on the door. Even when her primal mind was yelling at her to just dropkick the door easy, she knows she has to show some class. “Hey! Can I come in there for a sec?”

No answer. The redhead growls, showing off a bit of her canines before banging the door back again. “YO! Anyone in there? Akko? Lotte?  _ Sucy _ ?”

Speak of the devil, Sucy was actually the one to answer the door, opening just when Amanda was lifting her foot to kick it open. 

“ _ What _ ?” snaps the red team alpha, red eyes glaring at Amanda in a less friendly manner than usual. 

But who gives a fuck about what twisted this alpha’s panties- Amanda could only think about  _ that smell _ . When the door opened, the scent increased by ten, making goosebumps break out against Amanda’s skin. 

Her breath hitches in pleasure as she tries looking inside, only to be stopped by the other alpha. Welp, no use; she has to be decent then. “Hey, Sucy,” Amanda begins. “What’s in there? It smells…” she breathes in again and it seemed fuller than ever before. “Amazing.”

“Nothing for you here, O'Neill,” Sucy curtly replies before shutting the door. “Scram.”

Oh, Amanda’s not going to back down that fast. She puts her foot between the frame and the door, grabbing the wood to make it stay open. “I don’t think so, Sucy,” she says in equal bluntness. “I know something’s in there. I can smell it.” Amanda tries to force the door open wide but the red team alpha wouldn’t let go. Amanda felt a vein almost pop in her neck. “ _ So tell me, what the fuck is that _ ?”

The two alphas stared each other down, forcing their pheromones to repel each other. A moment passes before Sucy moves her hand and gets something from her pocket.  _ Gonna fight me, eh _ ? The redhead thinks, preparing to wrestle the puce-haired witch to the floor before she takes out a vial of something… something pink?

“Is this what you smelled?” Sucy asked, pulling the cork open, and there, the smell of strawberries wafted directly into Amanda’s nose.

_ What the fuck? That’s it _ ? That wonderful smell was actually another one of Sucy's brews? Amanda stares at the vial in disbelief, the smell not so enticing anymore as it was shoved right in front of her face, making her eyes burn. “Jesus! It’s so strong!” she cries as she steps back.

Sucy cackled, bemused at the redhead’s reaction. “Kekeke… You don’t like it? I thought you said it was ‘amazing’.”

“From afar! Christ, I can’t take it anymore. Fine, fine, I’ll scram!” Amanda hisses. “Go back to your shit already but put a scent-barrier or something.”

The green team alpha left, Sucy following her figure go inside her dorm. When she was sure no one else was in the hallway, she closed the door and faced Akko, who was playing with her Shiny Chariot cards on her bed. “You heard that? She said to use a scent-barrier even when we already are. That’s how strong your scent is.”

“Seriously!?” cried Akko as she turned to a corner of the room. If she focuses, she could see a bit of magical outline that hinted at the barrier. It’s been five hours now so maybe it's getting weak? Thinking it was, Akko pulls her wand out and whispers out the spell for the barrier that Chariot taught her. 

When the barrier thickened for about an inch, she said, “That should do it.”

Sucy cackles as she goes back to her work spot, watching the pink liquid in the vial. “Kekeke… I can’t believe Amanda actually bought it, though. This perfume only has one thing similar to yours, Akko, and it’s just the strawberries.”

“N-No kidding,” Akko whispers as she stares at her scent-double in disdain. When she first smelled it, it was nothing alike to her scent. But it was Sucy’s first try in replicating Akko’s scent, so there was plenty of room to improve. Despite mostly making poisons, Sucy actually had a knack for making sweet-smelling things.

The alpha then puts on her mask and immediately goes back to her mortar and pestle, not making any more conversation. Akko pouts but lets Sucy work, going back to her cards, but her mind was elsewhere.

Amanda nearly found her out, if it wasn’t for Sucy’s diversion. Akko wonders how the redhead would have reacted if she did; would she be disgusted by her? Unlikely. While Amanda was an asshole alpha, she was pretty open-minded… on a limited number of things. But then she was an  _ alpha _ . The brunette knew that, biologically, some form of twisted shit would occur should an alpha discover an omega in a school of alphas. 

So far, Akko had only met four other omegas in Luna Nova, three of which were out. The one in her year was Sola, and two other seniors, Trisha and April. All of them were claimed. Professor Chariot was the only other omega who wasn’t claimed. At least, not from her scent. But then Chariot was an adult. She wasn’t the one being preyed upon in this school; Akko was. And like it or not, the students here were jerks. 

Akko grips her sheets. Professor Chariot,  _ Shiny Chariot _ herself, said that her feelings about these things are valid. Alphas were an omega’s ‘must avoid’. They’d all mock her again once she shows up smelling like this, and it’s back to square one. In fact, the only alpha she knew that hadn’t mocked her as much as the others did was… Diana. 

_ Oh, Diana _ , Akko thinks, pawing at the rare Shiny Chariot card that the blue team alpha had given her a while ago. She knows she shouldn’t admit it but she missed her. Avoiding the heiress was such a hard thing to do, especially when Diana herself wanted to make time with her. Yet all she did was avoid her friend completely, just because she probably couldn't stand it. In fact, she’s been avoiding everyone, even right now. 

_ I’m such a bad friend, _ the brunette brings the card to her face, accidentally sniffing it. 

Akko pauses, heartbeat turning fast before starting to nose the card. The card smelled oddly of winter and magic, like a cool breeze over a cold forest. The omega eyes the card with shock and wonder.  _ Is… Is this what Diana smelled like? _

Turning into a deep shade of red, Akko quickly places the other cards back into the binder before rolling around the bed with the rare card, trying to scent herself with it. 

Sucy stares at her from her work spot, wondering what possessed the omega. Again. 

  
  
  


***

  
  


Diana had been coming back home to the Cavendish Manor more often, though rarely for personal visits. More or less it was regarding their family's affairs with money. That and Diana wanted to be notified of anything that Daryl would do they may hurt their financials again. This time, however, that was not the case.

The heiress stares at the golden statue of the Cavendish unicorn seated in the garden, glinting against the sunlight without any dust or grime. She turns back to the older woman behind her. “When did you--?”

“Merill and Maryl managed to locate it when they were in Germany. And, as you said before…” Daryl sighs. “We needed to uphold the Cavendish’s name. So we bought it back. It’s one of our family’s most prized relics, so it’s only right to retrieve it.”

Diana watches her aunt’s face, seeing her lips pressed tight as she stares up at the statue that she sold so long ago. The expression of solemnity was an expression the older witch rarely wore, so Diana would have to concede this time with her aunt’s actions. “I suppose so, Aunt Daryl. I’m actually surprised that you brought it back.”

The edges of Daryl’s lips curled a bit, opting for a small quip. “A year can bring changes to a person, Diana. But it’s not just me but you as well.” She turns a heel and goes back inside the castle. 

Diana threw the woman a confused glance before following her inside. “And by that, you mean…?”

“Goodness girl, can’t you read between the lines?” Daryl huffs. “What I mean is that you’ve grown, Diana. You’ve visited the manor more times this year, and not only that, you’ve become quite...” she glances at Diana from the corner of her eyes, “ _ Relaxed _ . Of course, as Cavendishes, we’re supposed to have a stick up our asses--”

“Interesting choice of words,” Diana mutters. 

“But now you seem to be less hateful. And I suppose I have that commoner of a witch to thank.”

The words had no ill-intent but it still irked the heiress that she continued to refer Akko as ‘commoner’. So Diana corrects her, “She has a name, Aunt Daryl. It’s Akko. Atsuko Kagari.”

Daryl smirks at her like she won or something. “And you even protect her name. How righteous. Where is the Kagari girl now, by the way?”

Well, from retrieving back a Cavendish statue to ask openly about one of her friends? Daryl must’ve really changed then. Or perhaps this is just the older woman playing mind-tricks again. However, even as new as Daryl may seem, the question about the brunette strikes the heiress deeper than it should.

The way Diana grimaced hadn’t gone unnoticed by the older witch. “She’s still at Luna Nova. But… we haven’t been talking much lately. I don’t know how she is.”

Daryl raises a brow. “Oh?” She was in for a big one. 

“She’s been avoiding me. I don’t know if she’s busy or not and we haven’t talked for days.” Nine days, to be specific, and each one was harder than the last. “She’s rarely alone and she wouldn’t stay outside for anything.” She’s seen Sucy with Akko every day in class, and once it ended, they would disappear. “And when I try inviting her for something, she always says ‘no’, not giving a single reason.” Last time Diana had tried to ask Akko if she wanted to study in the library again, she was quickly rejected and whooshed off with her team to Beatrix knows where.

The heiress knew she was rambling now, but it upset her deeply that she hasn’t been able to spend time with the brunette. Maybe it was the classes getting to her, or the extra lessons she has to make up for last year, or  _ whatever bloody thing that Diana could help her with if the other asked _ , it just didn’t seem to align for anything she had planned for them at all!

Daryl watched the younger witch mope around, very uncharacteristic of her.  _ Looks like the girl has made a far greater impact on Diana after all _ , she realizes. “Is she now? Why do you think she is avoiding you then?”

Diana sighs at the question, exasperated. “I do not know, Aunt Daryl.” It was the truth, and no matter how far she racked her brain with all the previous times she’s been with Akko before this odd behavior, she doesn’t remember doing anything to upset the girl. If she had, she would have resolved it a long time ago and she wouldn’t have this bloody problem!

The older witch pauses, stopping down the hallway before the grand hall. She thinks for a bit then a thought passes her. “Then... perhaps it’s her  _ season _ ?”

Diana looks at her with confusion. “Season?”

“Oh, you know, brat. It’s probably her, ah…” she delays it to see if her niece could actually catch her entendre. “Summer.”

“Aunt Daryl, it’s literally the middle of fall, the Harvest season. Have you not been seeing the calendar?”

_ This brat! _ Daryl felt a vein almost pop as she glared at the dense heiress.  _ And to think she’s the next head of this household. _ “Don’t try to play stupid, Diana, you know exactly what I mean. You should know why she’s avoiding you in the first place, seeing as you’re her friend.” She snaps.

Diana flinches at her aunt’s angry retort but… it makes sense, considering all else. She  _ is _ Akko’s friend. And busy or not, she’d always find time to be with her, especially with all that the brunette had done for her. She would never try anything to upset her. Then, what’s the issue now?

The heiress shakes her head again. “I really don’t know, Aunt Daryl.”

Daryl could only blink owlishly at her, unbelieving to see that Diana ‘I could destroy you in an argument’ Cavendish genuinely didn’t know what she was insinuating. It… wasn’t a fond look for the older witch, no. “If you really don’t know, I suggest digging up some clues to get to the bottom of it, Diana.”

The heiress looks up to meet her eyes. “Dig up clues?”

She can’t believe she was going to keep doing this, but rarely did Daryl ever see Diana be so confused and heeding for answers. Especially about some commoner witch. Daryl goes around beating the bushes again. “Diana, dear, have you wondered about Miss Kagari’s personality before? So stubborn and hot-tempered despite being on the smaller side? Have you ever even  _ smelled _ what she really is before?”

Diana blinks as the questions sink in. That’s true. She’s always thought that Akko’s stubbornness stemmed from her childish personality. And yet, that stubbornness often came from the most unpredictable places. She helps (well, tries to) with the smallest issues and is empathetic. Now the scent thing was another thing altogether. Though it was only recently that the two have been hanging out, Diana, for the life of her, couldn't figure out Akko’s scent. It just wasn’t… there, for all she understood. When the heiress met the brunette for the first time, she tried grabbing on her scent to discern who she was, but all she got was a burned end of a line, cut off. 

As an alpha, Diana always had a higher olfactory sense, so there were only two plausible answers to Akko’s nonexistent scent: a) she was a beta with an extremely mild scent or b) she was using… suppressants. 

Diana’s eyes widened as the second answer crystalised the mist in her mind. But no. No omega should last that long on suppressants. While Diana hasn't interacted much with omegas in her life, she knew that they couldn’t stand long enough in Luna Nova. The place was an unforgiving alpha den. And a whole year on suppressants couldn’t be healthy for any sane omega. While Akko was stubborn to a degree that she’s a bit foolish, she couldn’t last  _ that _ long, no matter how durable she may seem. 

Daryl watched different emotions fly across her niece’s face; from deep confusion, shock, realization, then relief. “So you realized who she is now?”

A beat of silence. Then, “That she’s a great witch?”

_ Bloody Hell _ \-- Daryl wanted to strangle her. She knows then that her niece was probably denying what’s a fact. But she needs to push it to her further. “Far from it.” Diana glares at her. “Her disposition, dear. What do you think has changed?”

Well, if Diana has to really be specific, it might be the height.  _ She’s grown an inch taller _ , she thinks. But then what else? Aside from the obvious avoidance… Diana couldn’t think much else. 

When Diana shakes her head again, Daryl’s already given up. She turns back to the grand hall, leaving for her office. “Figure it out yourself then, Diana. Mayhaps her avoidance of you isn’t related to her biology at all. But for now, I have some papers to attend.”

Diana watches her leave, not sparing word nor glance, then she disappears into one of the rooms. The heiress sighs and runs a hand through her hair in frustration, not knowing where to start on this new side of Akko. 

  
  
  


***

  
  


It was Saturday, and usually these days, Akko was up and about. Adventures and trouble always seek her some way or another. And apparently, today was an adventure to… a doctor’s appointment. Not the most thrilling thing in the world but with her situation? It might as well be.

The omega dresses herself up in casual clothes; denim shorts, white cotton tee, and sneakers, a far cry from Luna Nova’s uniform attire. Professor Chariot had been specific about her clothes for today’s outing, and this, in Akko’s definition, is exactly what ‘not from Luna Nova’ is. But for extra caution, she puts on her orange jacket over herself, intent on keeping her scent. 

_ Should I change my hairstyle too? _ Akko thinks, looking over herself in the mirror as she wipes her bangs to the right side. It felt awkward to have it there so she wipes it back. Briefly thinking of just doing a ponytail, Lotte slowly creeps down from her bed, having spent the entire Friday night buried in her Nightfall books. 

“Morning, Akko,” the beta sleepily slurs as she marches to the bathroom to wash her face. 

“Morning, Lotte!” Akko chirps happily at her teammate before going back to rearranging her hairstyle. 

Akko tried for a high ponytail; having a weight on top of her head felt awkward. A bun? No, her head would look like an egg. She tried braiding her hair, but after several attempts at trying, she realized,  _ what the hell am I doing? _

She groans and lets her hair fall back, deciding on her plain half-do ponytail before she sees Lotte emerge from the bathroom, wiping her glasses. She thinks of an idea and turns in her seat. “Uhh, hey Lotte, can you do me a favor?”

“Hmm?” Lotte puts her glasses on. “What do you need?”

“Can you do my hair? Professor Chariot said I need to look different so that I won’t attract people.”

“Ah, that’s right, you’re going to the doctor’s today,” the beta smiles and takes the brush from the desk. “All right then, leave it to me, Akko.”

The omega happily chitters in thanks as she turns back to the mirror and lets the beta do the work, feeling her fingers work through her hair and combing through her locks. Akko sniffs the air when Lotte steps closer behind her, finally being able to smell her teammate. The beta smelled of old books and freshly baked bread in the winter, which Akko finds odd at first but then it kinda fits. 

“You smell nice, Lotte,” the omega says, causing her teammate to blush. “You smell like your nightfall books.”

“R-Really?” the beta continues brushing through the brown locks, the throwaway compliment startling her. “You smell nice too, Akko. It’s very…” Lotte doesn’t even need to get close to the brunette; one foot away, that’s all anyone needs to smell her completely. “Omega.”

Akko stiffs, not knowing how to respond. “Geez, uh… thanks?”

“This could be bad. You should cover up your sweat gland, Akko,” Lotte whispers and lays a side of her hair on her left shoulder. “I know hair is a crucial thing when it comes to omegas since it amplifies your scent but this’ll block it better.” Akko’s hair came cascading down completely, resting on both sides of her face as Lotte continued to brush it out.

_ My hair’s gotten pretty long too _ , Akko thinks, wondering if Lotte would be willing to cut her hair now, then her phone chimes its alarm. 

The brunette flinches and quickly stands up, haircut forgotten. “Ah crap, Professor Chariot might already be outside!” She checks her image in the mirror for a while, hair falling down her back while the shorter locks framed her face. She smiles and turns to the beta, “I look great! Thanks so much, Lotte!”

Finishing her form with a small scent-blocking spell (a rather weak one but hey, it's all Akko could do), the omega bolts out the dorm with Lotte’s voice following, “Be careful out there, Akko!”

The brunette carefully jogs down the entrance hall, careful to avoid other students, and out in the Leyline gates of Luna Nova. Professor Chariot said it herself; don’t bring a broom. As Akko walks up to the gates, she wonders what the doctor actually looks like. Then she hears a resounding caw; she looks up and sees a familiar white bird flying overhead of her. 

“Alcor!” the brunette squeaks in surprise as the bird dived down. Akko gives her arm to let the giant bird sit on her, but when Alcor latches its giant talons on her, she was surprised at how heavy he actually is, almost falling when he places her entire weight on her. “God, Alcor! You’re so heavy!” she tells the bird. “Lay off the bird seeds, will you?”

The familiar didn’t like the comment so he nips at her head. “Ah, okay, okay! I’m sorry!” When the bird puffs up and turns away from her, Akko looks around, watching around for her mentor’s red hair. “So, where’s Professor Chariot? She said to meet at the gates at this time.”

Alcor pecks her again, catching her attention and points his beak at his talon, where Akko sees a small paper attached to it. “Huh?” Picking it out, she unfolds it.

  
  


_ Dear Akko, _

_ I’m very sorry but I’m afraid I can’t join you today, _

_ An important staff meeting just came up this morning and judging by how urgent it is, it’s going to take too long. _

_ So I’m sending Alcor in my stead. He’ll lead you to Dr. Xena’s, okay? Just follow him and you will be fine. _

_ -Sincerely, Chariot du Nord _

  
  


Akko blinks at the paper several times, wondering if she read it right. Feeling like a massive weight was suddenly brought on her shoulders, she grasps at the note with both hands as she shakes with shock. After confirming it is real, her arms fall to her side, the mantra,  _ ‘I'm doomed _ ’ whispering sweetly in her head as she succumbs to her own unluckiness. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that took a bit too long, doncha think?? Also finally showing Diana! Hooray! This chapter is not much in hindsight but online classes are kicking my ass soooo this is the best as I could give whilst not breaking down. And of course, if you squint, you can see some Aevumace flare in there, so thanks a bunch for lending me your character, Ave! You rock!


	4. Appointment

Alcor apparently would only be on Akko’s shoulder until they reach downtown. When it’s going to be some yards away, or if another person is going to see her with a bird, Alcor would fly out. All Akko needs to do is to never lose sight of him, and Alcor would do the rest. 

Akko pulls her jacket over herself, trying to make herself less visible as possible. People passed by her at a leisure pace, her eyes following the bird who was flying building to building, glancing at her every once in a while. While any other instance, if Akko had the liberty and out of her tremor-bound shackles, she wouldn’t be putting this much effort to be discreet. It felt awkward trying to be like this on the sidewalk, but then her secret was at risk. If there’s anything she won’t gamble at, it’s her safety as an omega.

“Ugh… if only Professor Chariot were here…” she whispers, tugging her hair over her scent gland farther. 

Japan was a lot nicer to omegas since they were still treated as equals as alphas, but Glastonbury was still pretty much a primitive town. She can’t prance around without having to face the darn dynamics.

But that didn’t mean the walk was a nice thing. She had Alcor to come peck at anybody if they’re trying to do some funny business. _And if worse comes to worst…_ Akko grips at her wand inside her pocket, remembering the spells Professor Chariot had taught her that’s effective against any alpha. _They’ll be expecting something._

Of course, Akko would only use it if it really comes to that. Otherwise, she won’t; using magic would only hint at her being from Luna Nova, and anything she does here, it would surely come to bite her ass in school. 

Right now, however, her priority is to get to Dr. Xena’s. Professor Chariot hadn’t said anything about her so far, and she was hoping she could get more information on who she was on the way to her from the older omega, but alas, the universe is driven to give Akko the worst trials thus far.

Okay then? A stroll through a town towards a stranger’s office isn’t something that’s going to jitter Akko’s nerves. Gods, she traveled through Lotte’s hometown in Finland just to get ingredients for an antidote. She fought with Fafnir’s mechanical dragons. She got eaten as a sacrifice by the ghost of Vajarois. She went to motherfucking space on the legendary Shooting Star. Surely a stroll like this doesn’t have much to make her lose her nerves, right?

If she ignores how hard she’s grabbing at her wand (a mild precaution to take because, you know, what if somebody suddenly kidnaps her?), she’s 99% sure this is nothing. _I mean,_ Akko thinks, _How hard could this be? I could probably get through this in a blink of an eye. I’m fine as long as there’s no al-- alpha--_

Akko froze, smelling _it_. 

Smoke, coffee, leather, and oh so masculine pheromones.

An alpha. And it was very close. 

The brunette slowly turned in its direction and she saw them. Right across the street, a tall, handsome man with jet black hair was sitting outside of a cafe. His getup was all leather, and he was surrounded by other fellow alphas. The omega felt sweat forming at her forehead, heart drumming like crazy in her ribcage as she realizes what she’s looking at; _a pack_. 

Akko quicked her pace, trying to get away from the pack’s heavy pheromones. Smoke and leather, with the cafe’s heavy smell of coffee accentuating it. She could almost get dizzy just from smelling their scents from afar; not to mention the alpha wearing it was incredibly attractive. A very prime and strong alpha; any omega would want a piece of that. 

The brunette quickly swallowed through her dry mouth. Whatever, she had business. Akko picks out the note from Professor Chariot, where she had laid out a map to her appointed doctor. 

She looks up and sees Alcor staring at her from a lamppost, head tilted to its side. Akko tilts her head too, mirroring the bird before he flew away again and landed on a building some yards away. She grits her teeth. “Damn it.” She follows the note anyway, keen on getting through the day.

  
  


***

  
  


One should always know that when becoming friends with Akko, it always comes with a sense of chaos and a tantamount of worry for the girl. Being the mentor, however, _that_ takes the cake. There’s rarely a week wherein Chariot didn’t have to worry for her, as the girl had so many needs and so much stuff to keep up with that any other professor would give up. 

But the results of the brunette’s work made it worth it; her improvements were _always_ there, and each day becomes easier as she learns. Chariot had learned that the moment Akko found the Fountain of Polaris and unlocked the second Word of Arcturus. And even without the Claiomh Solais in her hands, Akko still continues to improve on her magic, slowly trickling it into her being. 

So Chariot had faith for Akko in her trip to Dr. Xena’s clinic today, she was sure of it. And Chariot wasn’t so foolish to leave the girl empty-handed so she sent her familiar with the girl too; Alcor genuinely needed some exercise. 

Still doesn’t relieve her from the stressful anxiety pent up inside of her, though. Chariot sighs through her nose as Professor Finellan continues to ramble on about the preparation of the Samhain Festival, which wasn’t going to be here until another two weeks or more. The meeting had come out of the blue just this morning, effectively ruining her plan of taking Akko to the doctor for a checkup.

Chariot knows very well Xena wouldn’t shift her schedule, so she just has to come to the clinic as fast as she could after this. Akko was probably out there getting uncomfortable. She could only pray a heat tremor wouldn’t occur.

While the preparation for the Samhain Festival was usually done by the students themselves, this time with Luna Nova’s explosion of popularity, the revenue for the whole festival is going to be expanded all over the school, instead of the single-stage platform built on the field. 

Chariot reads over the list of witches who wish to become this year’s current judge for the Moonlit Witch contest. She barely knew less than half of them. All she could think of is how her student was currently running amok in town. 

“--And because of popular demand, we have decided to yet again let the New Nine witches perform this year.” Professor Finellan’s voice echoes in the room of professors.

The Frenchwoman freezes. _Did she say the New Nine? As in, Akko and her friends?_ Heads looked up in surprise at the dean, wondering how this revelation had come up. Chariot, however, felt her heart skip a beat. This is going to be bad.

Headmistress Holbrooke seemed to be the only one pleased. “It seems Miss Kagari’s exposition last year with the Grand Triskelion captured the attention of all of our alumni,” _Oh no._ “Professor Chariot?”

A kind spectacled gaze lands on Chariot’s, and she freezes. “Y-Yes?”

“Since you are in charge of Miss Kagari, the whole alumni body is expecting a show from her particularly. I hope that is not too much pressure on your shoulders?”

_Oh, the fuck it does._ Chariot suddenly felt her blood run cold and she counts down at the time left to prepare for a performance now. Less than a month. That wasn’t nearly enough time! “B-But Headmaster Holbrooke!” Professor Chariot stands. “Two weeks isn’t nearly enough to prepare a show for alumni witches! N-Not to mention…” _Akko’s heat,_ “That Miss Kagari’s magic is mostly catered to kids. It would be hard for her to learn more extravagant spells for a show, especially when the Claiomh Solais isn’t hers anymore.”

Holbrooke blinks at the protest and looks down her hands in contemplation. “I see, then,” she mutters, nodding her head. “However, the audience still expects something out of the New Nine, Professor Chariot, especially from the witch who saved magic. May the show be catered to kids or adults, she still needs a performance. Any will do.”

Chariot's breath hitches as she realizes the weight of the duty. Of course, of course. Why hadn’t she expected this before? Akko was literally recorded and broadcasted all over the world whilst battling against a massive missile that Croix created. Any witch witnessing that would of course expect a show from her, especially when she is under someone as renowned as Shiny Chariot, retired she may be.

It wasn’t that Chariot was upset over having to prepare a show with Akko, but the situation that the brunette was in is what binds it. Chariot knew her anatomy of omegas perfectly, and it’s that if heat tremors were to occur now, the chances of a heat occurring would be high come the following weeks. Should a heat break out from Akko then…

Chariot needs to resolve this. “Headmaster Holbrooke, please forgive me, but I don’t believe Akko can perform such a show, especially in such a crowd as huge as this year.” she pleaded, “Her magic still needs time to regrow. She’s showing greater improvements, and her magic may come deeply from her heart, but she most probably can’t produce anything with her level as of current. I don’t believe she’s able to perform a show right now.”

She bows down, gauging the reactions of the other professors present. They were obviously surprised by her rejection, but all she waited was for Holbrooke’s decision. It didn’t matter how heavy the peer pressure was; all she wants is for her student to be safe, especially with something as serious as her biology. 

Professor Finellan watches the Frenchwoman, whose back was bent in a bow. In any other instances, she would agree to her terms, that Miss Kagari was just too low-leveled of a witch to throw a performance for witches decades older, but then comes the demand from the alumni themselves, who want to see the ‘savior of magic’ in action. She does not have a concrete say on this, nor do the other professors, so they all looked at the headmistress for a decision.

Holbrooke contemplates, filling the room of silent tension, before she says then, “We shall decide then, Professor Chariot.”

  
  


***

  
  


Akko was just at the intersection of Glastonbury when another scent of an alpha caught her attention. Winter and magic, exactly like what the card Diana had given her smelled like. And if Akko caught that scent here...

Her head whips around the area, trying to catch a glimpse of platinum blonde hair but to no avail. She briefly wonders where it was, wanting to find it so bad and just drown herself in it. The scent was alluring the omega so much that a slight heat tremor jostled her body unexpectedly. 

Akko gasps when the shiver leaves her core and travels up to her neck. Her scent was probably stronger than before. _Shit, shit!_ Her eyes darted around and saw the reactions from the nearest person, who was a beta thankfully, but he still looked up, blinking. She gasps and looks over to Alcor, who had his head tilted and flew away from his perch on the lampost then, a sign for Akko to run away quickly. The magical scent of Diana’s disappeared and she realizes the position she was in.

She flees, careful to not bump into anybody as she follows Alcor through the sidewalk. _Shit, shit!_ Akko’s breath comes out in puffs, suddenly tired when another tremor wrecks through her body. It only became worse when she breathed in again and she smelled another alpha in the vicinity. 

Her eyes left Alcor and searched for who it was, leading right to a blonde dude who was standing around the corner. Akko skids to a stop, her breathing becoming erratic as a familiar fever shoots right across her body again, her mind bursting in panic when she sees the blonde alpha notice her scent as well.

_Think! Flee! Quickly!_ Akko looks around the street and sees an alley behind her. She jumps there before the alpha could turn and see her. The alley was wet and gross but that was the least of her worries. She just needs to get away from crowds as fast as possible. 

As Akko ran to the other side of the alley, her feet suddenly gave out, slipping and she landed on the ground with a harsh thud. 

“Umph!” she groans, almost feeling like her chin was about to break as it made contact with the ground. Another tremor travels her body; while it was significantly weaker than the one with Professor Chariot, it was still unpleasant to feel. Her whole body felt like jelly under her weight, and her skin became fire as her body’s senses became acute and aware of _anything_.

And right now, she was aware of the following footsteps behind her. The brunette gasps and forces herself to sit up, looking back to see who was following her. Her eyes rounded as she recognized the scent and the several figures entering the dark alley. 

Smoke, coffee, and leather, with heavy masculine pheromones; _the pack from the cafe_. 

Akko’s lip quivered in fear. _They caught my scent!_ She scrambles to get the hell out of there but as she was about to flee again, a harsh grip suddenly takes her wrist. And much like the last time somebody suddenly touched her, she tries to squirm and fight her way out of it. “Ngh! Let me go!”

“Whoa there little omega,” one of the pack whispers as they closed in on her, watching. 

Someone steps closer and Akko saw how close they were trying to get in. She tries to shake off the fear by further scrambling out of the vice hold she was in. "Damn, isn't this one feisty."

_Fuck, fuck, fuck!_ Akko kicks the one nearest to her but she quickly stopped when her chin was held up, forcing her to meet eyes with the handsome man from before, the leader of the pack. 

“Calm down, little omega,” he husks, voice so deep and smooth Akko might as well melt. “What’s a little flower like you doing here?”

Disgusting. Handsome as he was, Akko’s disgusted. She was scared, yes, but she’s not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing it. She turns her head away rapidly. “None of your damn business,” Akko snarks, glaring at him with all the rage in the world. “Now let go, otherwise you’re gonna regret it.”

“Should I?” He smiles, which she admits it’s cute, but he’s a sentence away from her getting a blast of murowa. They maintain eye contact for a bit then finally, his grip lessens. “She’s not in heat, boys.”

His cohorts slumped as if they’re disappointed. Akko shifts her glare towards them and one grunts, a dude with round sunglasses, smiles. “Sad. But still, she’s hot-headed _and_ cute. Exactly my type.” He stares at her for a bit longer before his expression breaks into realization. “Hey, Ken, doesn’t she look familiar?”

Now _that_ made her freeze. Akko’s blood ran cold as the grunt scrutinized her. _Anything she does here, it would surely come to bite her ass in school._ Her heart almost felt like it was about to stop but she wills herself to release as much bitter and rejecting pheromones. She shouldn’t use magic, not yet…

“Is she now?” Ken, the leader most likely, stares at her face again. Akko waits with bated breath, wanting him to take a hint from her scent that she wants them miles away from her. Instead of being repelled, however, his eyes widened in surprise, as if he finally got the answer. “You’re right…” Her jaw tenses, reaching for her wand. “Aren’t you a witch--”

Quickly taking out her wand with a snap, Akko aims at his head, which the pack leader’s eyes grew wide at. _“Paleis Capama!”_

A beam of white light shines out of her wand and shot across all of the alphas in the alley, engulfing their heads in a big bubble, the air in it lifting them off the ground briefly. “What the--!?” the leader alpha yelps, letting go of Akko’s arm, trying to pop the bubble around him.

Seeing escape, the brunette turned and ran away quickly, not looking back as the alphas continued to float around mid-air, kicking their legs as if that’d solve it. _They’ll be fine,_ Akko thinks as she gets out of the alley and into the street, continuing to run _wherever, just as long as they don’t follow her!_ The brunette pulls the hood of her jacket over her head and just runs. Wherever, whatever shelter she could duck and hide in.

“Dammit!” she curses, at herself, the pack, her stupid dynamic, her stupid luck, or at Diana’s stupidly alluring scent that triggered a tremor in the first place, just whatever! She looks around as she was blocks away from the alley where she had left the alphas.

She took deep breaths, the panic and adrenaline making her reel. She should have expected this in the first place; whenever she was alone, dumb shit _always_ happens. _Fuck my life._

When she was about to have plans on looking for Alcor (the damn bird), Akko suddenly smelled another strong scent in the vicinity, despite the lack of people in the street. She freezes in fear, her muscles tensing to run away again before--

“Hello,” a woman’s voice whispered from behind. The strange scent increased, as though it was trying to appease her. “You must be Miss Kagari?” _She knows me._ Akko reached for her wand in her pocket again, not yet turning around for fear of confirming her identity. The woman then laughs. “Don’t worry, Miss Kagari. I’m not going to hurt you.”

Akko shouldn’t answer, she really shouldn’t but… there’s something in her voice that makes her believe she should. She doesn’t turn nor let go of her wand but her reply was there. “Why should I believe you?”

A gentle hand grasps her arm again, and she freezes but the touch is nothing like the alphas from before. It was cool and comforting. Akko sniffs and the panic melts away from her eyes as she _finally_ recognizes the scent behind her; a beta. Knowing that, the sirens in her head stopped ringing. “If it makes you feel better, Chariot told me about you. And my word, young lady, you truly look like a handful.”

Finally, Akko takes the initiative to turn around and face her. The first thing she noticed about the woman was her large chestnut eyes and the stethoscope around her shoulders. She had an air of formality, judging by the way she carried herself. Akko’s mouth dries as she realizes who she’s looking at. “D… Dr. Xena?”

The beta breaks out in a smile. "That's me," Throwing an arm across Akko’s shoulders, she started a gait and led the younger witch. “Not to worry, Miss Kagari, my clinic is just around the corner. You’ll be safe from there.” 

“O-Oh, thank you…” The brunette whispers as the tension in her body finally die down, her body relaxing against the beta woman. “Um, if you don’t mind me asking, doc, how did you know I was…?”

“That you were here?” Dr. Xena finishes, her eyes still onto the street. “I can recognize a witch from their scent alone, Miss Kagari, especially one that came from Luna Nova. And not to mention Chariot’s familiar came knocking through my window!”

Akko watches the woman’s face beam in… nostalgia? They stop and she turns to see a white building with the name ‘Cresswell Glastonbury Clinic’ on the glass. It seemed quaint. Not something Akko should be alarmed about. Not yet at least. The blood pumping in her veins was still on for another run.

Then came something that really alarmed Akko then; leather, smoke, and coffee. The omega’s body tense as she looks to her side and finds the pack on the other side of the block, shouting crude things at each other. _The spell didn’t last long enough!_ Akko was repelled by the angry pheromones that the pack was throwing around, quickly stepping further into Dr. Xena’s arm.

Dr. Xena watches the pack carefully, a small smile still on her face as the leader of the pack caught the scent of the omega in her arms again. Akko flinched when the alpha turned to her and zeroed into her.

“There you are, you little bitch!” he roared, running towards the two. 

Akko was prepared to blast the alpha right off the lane, gripping her wand back again. However, when the leader was in the distance of her magic, she hears Dr. Xena whisper behind her head, “ _Aknitos._ ”

The alpha had suddenly tripped like he fell from his own feet and went in fours right on the ground. “What the--!” he tries to move, but something seemed to lock him in place. “Gah! Boys! Help me get up, _right now!”_ His cohorts immediately went to his side and tried lifting him up but he remained on the ground. 

Akko watches as the guy tries to battle against his invisible bind. "Stay here," The words whispered against her hair and Dr. Xena then left her side and said to them, “Do you need help, sir?”

The alpha ignores her and glares back at Akko, who flinched. “The fuck I don’t! That witch omega over there is probably doing this to me! Get me the hell out of this!”

_“Hey,”_ the doctor’s voice suddenly became an octave lower. Akko felt the air around them begin to turn cold as the pack stepped away from their leader instinctively. The leader felt cold fingers around his chin and made him look up to a pair of cold chestnut eyes. “Look at me when I’m talking to you, Alpha.”

The leader actually felt the ominous presence around the woman. Realizing this, he grits his teeth. “You’re doing this!? Get me out of here!”

The beta smirks. “Oh, I will. On the condition that _you_ ,” she points a finger right in the middle of his eyes before pointing back towards Akko behind her, “Leave this girl be.”

The alpha growls menacingly. “After what she did!? Bullshit! Omegas like her need to learn respect! If more omegas like her run amok, then this entire place would be a catastrophe! That bitch almost suffocated me and my pack with her magic bubbles!”

Akko felt her blood run cold as the alpha stared right through her, the danger of his gaze making her omega ring sirens. If the doctor wasn’t there between them, the brunette would’ve thought that the alpha would tear her limbs apart. 

“Is that so? Well then let me give you a bargain, Mr. Alpha, sir.” Dr. Xena reaches for her pocket and shockingly takes out a syringe, the tube full of _something_ in them. The alpha eyed it cautiously. “If you and your pack leave this girl alone, your pack will suffer less damage than they already have.”

The alpha grunts. “That’s it? What if we don’t want to then?”

“Then…” The doctor points the syringe right on one of the neck veins of the alpha, the cold needle feeling around the pumping vein. “You will receive the thorough punishment for assaulting an omega not yet of age. I, myself, will personally put you on trial if you so much as touch her hair, and if I ever, _ever_ , catch you near her again,” The needle nibs at his skin. “You’re never going to walk.”

The threat was there, and it was real. The alpha looks into her chestnut eyes, where it flashed an unnerving emotion of unconcealed rage. He started to shake in fear. 

“So do you have any protest?” Dr. Xena asks. The alpha shakes his head rapidly, sweat dripping down his chin. She stands up. “Good. Now get out of my sights before I rearrange your intestines to your ribcage.”

Like the strings of a puppet were cut off, the alpha immediately slumps down the pavement. He scrambles away from her when he regains controls of his body. He looks at the doctor like she was the devil, quickly standing up and stepping away from her. “L-Let’s get out of here, boys!”

The pack hauls ass into the street, not looking back. Akko watches the doctor carefully as she puts her syringe back into the pocket of her coat before she then turns to her and says, “Sorry about that, Miss Kagari. I just never liked male alphas who are so anti-omega.”

“O-Oh, don’t be,” Akko finally finds her voice. Whatever the hell just happened, she was happy that the alphas were out of her tail now. “I should be thanking you, for fending them off for me.”

Dr. Xena smiles. “It’s my pleasure protecting omegas, Miss Kagari. Now come inside before your scent catches more attention from alphas.”

The doctor quickly opened the door and led her inside, away from the eyes of the public. The first thing Akko noticed was the clerk behind the desk in the lobby. She takes out a wand and mutters a spell. Akko recognizes the green glow as a scent-barrier spell; one that was far stronger than the one she used in her dorm.

She quickly saw Alcor sitting on a perch next to a gray owl. Akko glares at him. _Thanks for leaving me out there, bird._

The duo entered through a pair of glass doors and was now in the examination room. Dr. Xena quickly made Akko sit down on the examination table and the former sat down on a comfy rolling chair. 

“Let’s start over shall we, Miss Kagari?” she flashes her a gentle smile. “My name is Xena Cresswell, but you can just call me Dr. Xena. I will be your appointed physiologist for today. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” She rolls over to a desk on the far right of the room and rifles through it. “If you have any questions, ask away. If you’re wondering about me and Chariot’s relationship, I’ll answer that as well,” she pulls out a syringe, which Akko flinches at. “Professionally, of course.”

“Um… okay,” Akko whispers shyly, sitting more comfortably on the table, not really wanting to learn how and why her mentor has a friend so oddly eccentric. Then again Akko was also friends with a lot of weird people so she takes the offer to not seem impolite. “I’ll keep that in mind, doctor.”

“It’s okay if you don’t want to,” Xena glances at her and back again at her tools laid out on her desk. “I take it Chariot hadn’t really talked about me much before this?” At the brunette’s nod, the beta woman sighs. “It’s almost the end of the Harvest season, so I’m not surprised she’s become so busy. Knowing Luna Nova, they’re probably getting their hands full right now.”

Akko hadn’t had a single thought of the end of the Harvest season since her first heat tremors. All she’s been thinking about was trying to keep a low-profile of her incoming heat. “So the meeting earlier…”

“She notified me beforehand, don’t you worry.” Dr. Xena adds and walks up to the brunette and takes her stethoscope from her shoulders. “Now let’s take a look at your vitals first, hm?”

The whole duration of the examination, the duo made little conversation; Dr. Xena only giving Akko small gentle chides to move a limb or sit upright. It was all pretty standard procedure, Akko realizes as she watches the beta woman write down notes on her clipboard, an unreadable expression on her face. “Hmm… while I can say nothing is off about your body, Miss Kagari, I have to ask first about your… weight.” She taps on her clipboard before asking, “Tell me, Miss Kagari, has your diet changed in any way last month?”

“Oh um…” Akko thinks back on the times she’s been in the cafeteria, which was scarce enough, but otherwise, nothing’s changed. “Nothing? I guess?”

“No signs of nausea?”

Oh, wait… Brief memories of late-night trip to the bathrooms and other times in between classes when she almost felt like purging comes up in the front of her mind. Akko blinks and says, “There were, sometimes. It’s when I didn't have an appetite, and when I tried to eat something, I got pretty sick quickly.”

“Then that must be your suppressants working their way out of your system. There are different kinds of suppressants for omegas, Miss Kagari, including suppressants for heats, but yours must be _andostrogen_ , the standard suppressant that stops heats for several weeks or more.” She scribbles something down on her page again and looks up, freezing Akko with her gaze. “I’m going to create an educated guess here, Miss Kagari, and I want you to answer me truthfully, okay?”

Akko nods slowly, intimidated by the woman’s spectacled gaze. 

“So let me start with your current blood pressure; an omega’s blood pressure is normally high when they’re preparing for heat. Yours, however, is in a verge of hypertension.” Akko gulps. Dr. Xena rifles through her board. “According to the files Professor Chariot has sent me, and from your BMI test now, you’ve at least lost nearly five kilograms in three months since August. Tell me, Miss Kagari, when was the last time you’ve drunk your suppressants?”

Akko fidgets and gulps, twiddling her thumbs in her lap as the doctor waits for her answer. Finally, she says, “Just this Monday… actually.”

There was a brief ounce of surprise in Dr. Xena’s gaze for a moment before she nodded again. “I see…” She writes it down and asks again, “Your intake?”

The brunette bites her lips. “Four pills. I’ve been taking four pills weekly since three weeks ago.”

“My… My goodness.” For the first time, Akko sees the doctor’s expression wavering for a bit before writing it down again. “That makes so much more sense, Miss Kagari. It seems your intake has triggered your body into rejecting the suppressants.”

“Can you tell me why?” Akko questions as the doctor put her board back on the desk and face the brunette. “I mean, I’ve been using the same suppressants weekly for a whole year. Why isn’t it working now?”

“Many factors are affecting your body, Miss Kagari. It mostly varies on the environment the omega stands; the temperature, the smell, or just an alpha’s presence alone. Suppressants keep your body from reacting to those factors, and as I’ve said before, there are many kinds of suppressants to use in battling those different factors. _Andostrogen_ , however, keeps most of those reactions back, but only with a certain limit.

When an omega takes an _andostrogen_ suppressant for more than a year, their body eventually becomes tired of it. Our biology always comes first. It’s even worse for omegas related to magic. Suppressants trigger a lot of things once the omega has surpassed her heat limit.” Dr. Xena then takes off her glasses and starts wiping them. “Do you know why alphas are the better dynamics when it comes to magic, Miss Kagari?”

Of course, she did. “Because they’re better vessels for it?”

“Correct. Magic can trigger any primal parts of a person. Since alphas don’t have that many triggers, along with betas, they can easily take and maintain magic continuously without affecting those said triggers and straining it. Omegas, on the other hand, cannot take magic without an extra vessel. So if an omega exerts magic from her own, it triggers plenty of things, mainly their gland where it excretes heat hormones,” She touches the back of Akko's neck, where she shivered in response. "The coniguim glandis." 

Akko blinks as the words sink in, making her remember the time when she was practicing magic with Professor Chariot; the way she exerted herself on her own, which was the first time she flew that high without any help from other spells. “So that’s what triggered my abnormal heat tremor,” The brunette whispers to herself. 

“Primal instincts are things that need to be avoided by witches, Miss Kagari.” Dr. Xena continues. “If that's the driver of your magic, there are unforgivable consequences for it. There’s a reason why feral alphas and omegas are generally not allowed in magical facilities. It was only then when the invention of heat and rut suppressants that magic became legal for everybody.”

“Yeah…” Akko slumped in her seat on the examination table, now realizing why her suppressants worked as effectively as paper in a pool. All the more reason not to show anybody her true biology. Which leads her to question, “So I should continue to use suppressants until then, doc?”

Dr. Xena watches her at that, her expression unreadable. Akko purses her lips. This woman was intimidating in ways she couldn’t discern; the way she had her under her gaze as if she can see through her.

Finally, the beta woman stands up and answers, “That depends on what I will find in my diagnosis, Miss Kagari.” Walking over to her desk, she takes out a fresh needle, rubber, some cotton, and medical tape. “I will need a sample of your blood first for that.”

“Oh, um, sure.” Akko lends the woman her arm when she was in front of her. When the needle was successfully planted in one of her shown veins, bright red blood began to fill the tube. Akko carefully watches the doctor, who seemed to be deep in thought. 

When the tube was full, Dr. Xena took out the needle immediately and covered the pierced skin with a ball of cotton. She smiles gently at her. “Good girl. I will tell Professor Chariot of your diagnosis later on. But for now, I should start prescribing you your new medicines in preparations for your heat.” She pulls out a prescription paper. “I take it birth control is out of the question?”

Akko’s jaw dropped in shock, face turning to a bright shade of red. 

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

They both turn to the door where another beta nurse pops her head in. “Um, Dr. Xena, Chariot du Nord is in the lobby.”

“Is she!?” The doctor’s expression quickly changed from being solemn to ecstatic. She turns to Akko as she stands. “Wait right here, I’ll go and have a word with your mentor for a few.”

Akko felt relief wash over in her heart, never having been more grateful for her mentor’s impeccable timing. She hears two voices speak outside the examination room but she wasn’t curious to see Professor Chariot at all. All she could think of are the things that were about to follow her after this check-up.

  
  


***

  
  


Relaying stories to Chariot was a habit Akko had since she met the woman as Ursula, so hearing her gasp about her encounter with the pack alpha from before wasn’t something new. She told the woman _everything_ by now. So there they were, in a small cafe for lunch after Akko had bought the prescribed heat suppressants and, unfortunately, birth control. 

When Chariot witnessed Akko with the bottle, she was aghast. “Honestly, that woman is almost always too much.”

Not like Akko had plans of using it in the first place. The brunette hums, eyes focused on the brown paper bag containing her new medicine. She was recommended to be away from alpha crowds as much as possible, drink ten glasses of water per day, eat as many vegetables and carbohydrates to retrieve her standard weight, and take certain medicines at a certain time of the day. 

Akko had so much to keep up with just for preparation for her heat. _Then again, this is what happens when you’ve passed your limits. Jesus._

“Akko?” the brunette looks up from the paper bag and to the professor sitting behind her clubhouse sandwich. “Are you feeling well?”

She smiles and shakes her head. “No, no, I’m fine. It’s just that…” she grips the bag. “I’m feeling a bit anxious about what's coming. Do you think I should just go home? Back to Japan?”

Chariot purses her lips. That was the safest option to bet in her situation; return to her home place and spend her heat there. It was the best option. But one little thing was halting it; the Samhain festival. The older omega didn’t know how to break it to the brunette, not when she looks like her favorite dog just died. She tries, anyways, “That is…”

“No, no I guess I shouldn’t,” Akko cuts her off. “I have too many lessons to catch up with. And getting a ticket due to a week now…” she gives a weak laugh. “That would be expensive. I shouldn’t.”

“Akko,” Chariot softly calls, seeing as how her student seems so… _lost._ It was the time before the Noir Missile crisis all over again. That’s never a kind sight in Chariot’s eyes, so she tries to cheer the girl up. “Well, look at it this way, Akko,” Chariot prompts, “The Samhain Festival is right around the corner. Maybe the festivities will ease you for a bit. Go around for a pumpkin pie with your team, enjoying the shows; it would be fun!”

“Yeah, but I’m not allowed to go outside during that time either…” Akko puts her medicine on the table and takes her sandwich. “Thanks for the invitation though.” The brunette tries to put on a smile for her mentor but the prospect of not being able to do anything in the next few weeks diminished it. 

They didn’t talk much after that. After lunch, the duo went straight back to Luna Nova, where Chariot had put on a much stronger scent-blocking spell around Akko and told her to go back to her dorm as quietly as possible. Chariot herself had gone back to her office, where she waited for Xena’s diagnosis on Akko. It shouldn’t take long; that woman had even predicted Chariot’s own heat schedule back when they were teammates in Luna Nova, in what, less than an hour. What she couldn't shake off though, was the thought of the pack jumping on Akko.

Anger boiled under her skin before she quickly regained her composure. It was okay now; Xena had taken care of them so she doesn't need to go on an alpha-hunt tonight to avenge what Akko had gone through. She didn't need to because they were past it. Chariot would make sure of it. The redhead paces around her room to relieve the angering thought of alphas jumping on her student, the rhythmic _tap tap tap_ of her shoes against her floorboard making her count and calm down. 

She received a message from Xena when the sun was setting. Chariot swipes on her orb and sees the doctor’s face behind it. 

“Chariot! Good afternoon!” the woman says with a smile. “Is Miss Kagari there with you? How is she?”

Chariot smiles back. “She’s back in her dorm. Hopefully with her friends then.”

“Do they know of her condition?” 

A nod. “Yes. They’re the very first ones, actually, and they’re intent on keeping it.”

The doctor smiles and leans back on her chair. “Good, good… Reminds me of the time when it was you who was keeping a secret, Chariot. Remember when Finellan almost busted you stealing sheets from the infirmary?”

Chariot flushes red as her former teammate guffaws. “Don’t remind me, Xena. You’re calling for more important matters,” Xena’s laughs dwindled to giggles and she sat straighter. “So? What did you find?”

“Well…” Xena bites her lips and disappears from the screen for a bit. “It’s better if I send you her works, Chariot. The suppressants she took the past three weeks really did a number on her bloodwork.”

Replacing the doctor’s face was a medical file with Akko’s name on the top. She gasps as she sees the numbers. Akko’s andostrogen numbers had gone higher; whereas last year her suppressed levels were around -0.3, the numbers this time were a whopping +1.9. Almost twice the amount. 

“Her levels are way off, Chariot. Even higher than yours back then. Her heat signatures are also rising rapidly. If her hormones continue to rise in a magical facility like Luna Nova, there’s a risk that Miss Kagari would die.”

Chariot panics. “She’ll _die!?_ Then we should transfer her to your heat-rooms in your clinic then, Xena! I can’t risk her having a stroke in the middle of her heat. I absolutely won’t!”

“That’s what I thought as well, but look at this Chariot.” The file on the orb was replaced with a line-chart. “I managed to recollect some of her previous heat signals, and so far, they’ve been erratic. The first one I noticed was something far back three weeks ago, where she said she started to drink more suppressants. That was possibly the initial phase of her heat, but the suppressants had pushed it back again. Five days ago, the heat signal came back, which I will assume was triggered by her magic. That was her strongest heat tremor so far. After her heat, I don't think her body should take any more suppressants. 

“So far, she didn’t have any more tremors as strong as that yet, but I have noticed that this past week alone, smaller bursts of tremors have started occurring. I didn’t find any traces of magic from this yet, so all I could assume is that…”

“No. Just… _no._ You’re not saying...?” Chariot sputtered, fear igniting a fire in her heart. 

“You know exactly what I’m saying, Chariot. Heats have been connected to finding a mate, particularly alphas, but Akko’s bursts of tremors have been erratic, despite not having used any strong magic lately. So there is a chance, her heat is linked to…” Xena purses her lips. “Alphas.”

Chariot’s heart jumped in her throat. She imagines an alpha, any alpha, surrounding Akko. An image of an alpha’s hand touching her hair and, god forbid, take care of her heat… The Frenchwoman quickly retrieved her scattered composure. “Surely it’s not her time yet?”

Xena shrugs. “Depends. Miss Kagari is in the right age to get a mate, but it all comes down to her own decision. And besides, if things go smoothly and according to my plan, she won’t even need an alpha. But I will say this, Chariot,” she tries for a smile. “An alpha will help her _immensely_ in taking care of her during her heat.”

Chariot’s knuckles had turned white after gripping her table with so much ferocity. “And when is that?” she croaks. 

“Oh, um…” Xena goes through her files again. “Between 31st October and November 5th.”

Chariot screams. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. My. God. This took me out when I was writing it, I can't believe it. But hey, at least it's here now. With an art! Yay!
> 
> Also apologizing if you found these scenes not suiting for your tastes. And if it's very wrong, but I'm still learning how to use impact and bring weight to the situation Akko was in but it feels like I have to more ways to go in writing events and putting their weight in ways they should to apply the characters correctly. But if you guys found this chapter entertaining or any other emotion that ya'll felt, please leave a comment!:) I'd take anything from a berate to a kind and short remark!


	5. Suffering

Diana had arrived in Glastonbury not too long ago, having left from Wedinburgh as early as Saturday's dawn, the trip being tedious and time-consuming. She had a schedule with Professor Hoggets this afternoon, and several lessons to study tonight, then tomorrow comes her newest plan to invite Akko to the library again for their occasional study session. 

The heiress grimaced at her schedule, but nonetheless, the prospect of spending time with the brunette tomorrow enthralled her more than it should. And if Akko is going to reject her this time again, she’ll simply ask  _ why _ before the brunette could bolt away… again. 

Diana briefly wonders if she should bribe the girl with tea and snacks to study with her before shaking the thought off. Ridiculous! That was against her principles as Luna Nova’s top student! She shouldn’t bribe Akko’s time away. If she’ll say no, Diana will respect that.  _ But _ only if she hears the reason first. 

Thinking of more plans to make the brunette hang out with her in any sort of way, the alpha then catches a new scent she hadn’t smelled before in Glastonbury. She was flying over downtown, where most people were walking and hanging about but this…  _ this _ was different. 

Diana’s eyes became blown as the scent invaded her nose, breaking her concentration away. She looks down, trying to figure where the scent came from. The urge to land right there in the middle of the street and sniff out the wonderful scent was strong, almost pulling her to do just that. 

Strawberry and sakura, with hidden citrusy blooms. Whenever she took a deep breath, the scent was so sweet and alluring, tempting her higher mind to let go and let her primal alpha take over. 

Quickly realizing the situation, Diana drew a handkerchief from her robes and covered her nose with it; she knew what this scent was. An omega’s. She tries looking for the owner of the scent again then notices that her broom has gone lower, almost touching the roof of a building.

_ Up! Up! _ Diana thinks, reaching a higher altitude and flies faster to the Leyline terminal. She has to get out of here. She didn’t take off her cover until she saw the hill of the Leyline terminal, where she was sure the scent wouldn’t reach there. 

It was things like these that made Diana’s life as an alpha a bit more complicated than it should; scents and omegas, more specifically. The heiress sighs as the green portal welcomes her, finally having gotten out of the embarrassing situation. She was just glad nobody was there to see her.

When she touched down on the grass of the castle’s courtyard to the entrance, Diana was relieved; such a ride from Wedinburgh to here was tiresome, as always. But duties await, so Diana proceeds to them with a step of dignity.

_ But that scent, _ Diana thinks as she walks the way to her dorm.  _ Where did it come from?  _ **_Who_ ** _ did it come from? _

Of course, she knew that it had come from an omega, but never did she witness a scent so… so captivating. While Diana may have gotten the grasp of omega anatomy (and that was barely from the books) she hadn’t known beforehand that omegas can produce pheromones  _ that _ powerful. 

Omegas, especially in Diana’s presence, had never flaunted their scents; at least, not to a degree that she would lose her composure like what she did in Glastonbury. Being invited and attending aristocratic parties made her aware of that. Be it older or younger, no omega has openly shown up to her and met eye-to-eye. So witnessing what actual omega pheromones were like, it had Diana almost reel back in surprise.

So sweet, so soft, so unbelievably  _ attractive _ that she could barely keep up with what she was doing. It tugged at her gut in ways she couldn’t explain. And the thing was, Diana wasn’t sure if that was a  _ good _ or a  _ bad _ thing; the trained and socialized alpha of her higher mind exclaimed in protest but the primal alpha all but keened itself into drowning in the scent.

A battle raged on Diana’s mind as she wonders what was going on with her before smelling the familiar perfume of her teammates. Hannah and Barbara round the corner of a hallway and they see the alpha with smiles. Diana returns it the same way.

“Diana! Welcome back!” Barbara greets first, the duo running up to her sides. 

“How was the estate? Did you discover anything new?” Hannah asks as she takes the broom off the alpha. As the duo entered in excited chatter, Diana sighs in relief, finally getting her head out of the scent from Glastonbury; the distraction her dynamic had given her was enough for now.

The afternoon passed by like any of her busy days, and once it was time for bed, she went out like light. 

  
  


***

  
  


Sunday morning was always a good time to sneak around Glastonbury and pick out stories over the weekend. Wangari had learned how to be discreet in her questions to let the interviewed fall into her plot well-enough after eavesdropping on the nearest person who looked like they saw a bullfight just the other day. She was hoping today would also bring a good haul to the Luna Nova newspaper.

Or at least, pick up another circulating info before Luna Nova fully succumbs to the preparation of Samhain festival.

The universe seemed to grant Wangari wish as she picks up a cheese bread from a homey cafe, she suddenly smells an alpha pack coming to approach the store.

Wangari glances at them and takes a seat on one of the tables. They seem pissed. Wonder what twisted this pack’s morning.

“Fucking shit… If I ever see that omega again…” A tall guy with an impossibly imposing scent mutters. Wangari assumes he must be the leader.

“But boss, don’t forget what that woman said…” One of his goons reminded him. 

His face twisted further and yelled, “Who gives a shit! Those damn witches from Luna Nova get away with anything. Hey, old man!” The poor baker behind the glass flinch. “Give me my regular!” Roared the alpha.

Wangari watches them, interested. As the pack yells out their orders and ear, she ponders on their words.  _ Omega, eh… _ Wangari thinks. On the top of her mind, there were only three known omegas in school. None of them seemed likely to get confronted by a pack like this, especially when all of them are already claimed (by strong alphas, no less).

_ Hmm, they don’t look friendly for an interview,  _ Wangari thinks as she watches the pack leave.  _ Too bad. But the baker seems to know something… _ She glances over to the baker who warily watches the pack leave before standing up, getting her notepad and pen ready. 

Once she finishes, Wangari grins and goes back to Luna Nova with a hop to her step.  _ Luna Nova is going to have a field day... _

  
  


***

  
  


Letting her members know of her condition was a fairly easy thing to do, Akko reflected. They immediately came through their instincts after hearing Akko’s confrontation with the pack, and even if Lotte became fussier than ever and Sucy was acting a bit of an ass, the help they provided was more than what the brunette ever needed. She shuffles Lotte’s pajama shirt into her pillow, and Sucy’s pillowcase is next to it, along with the tracksuit jacket that Professor Chariot had graciously lent to her.

Akko’s nest was in its initial phase of being built, but that was enough to get her comfortable immediately. Her soft blankets and Alcor plushie only added to her comfort, and she was convinced that her nest here in Luna Nova was better than the one back in Japan. 

While it wasn’t as soft, and sure, maybe Mom and Dad’s scent would have made it better but the current comfort that her new nest provided was what made it feel… hers. It was the red team’s scent, along with Professor Chariot’s, so it was anything more Akko craved. 

She slept like a baby that Saturday night, letting her forget of the nightmarish heat she was about to go through in weeks. Sunday, she slept in longer, and it wasn’t when Lotte shook her shoulder that she woke up.

“Mmmorning… Lotte…” The words fumbled through her mouth in such a lazy way, the beta that was crouching next to her bed chuckled.

“Good morning to you too, Akko,” Lotte replies. “Get up already, it’s nearly 9 AM. Another hour more and you’re gonna miss breakfast.”

“Mmngh…” The brunette grumbles into her pillow for a bit before gaining the energy to step out of her nest.  _ Today’s weather is nice, _ Akko thinks as she stretches her limbs to pop, unknowing of the stare that the beta gave her as she crawled out of her nest. After a yawn, she turns to Lotte, who was looking nonstop. “Okay, I’m good. We should go to the cafeteria now.”

Akko was about to turn and leave for the door if not for the unexpected pull behind her shirt’s collar, keeping her back. “Not yet! Akko, you need to apply perfume and the scent-blocking spell first.”

From the mention of those things, the smile on Akko’s face quickly fell.  _ Right. My new normal, _ she thinks bitterly and goes and tends to her perfume. Lotte was the one who was going to put the spell since of course, magic for her means a ticket for alphas to track her scent and eventually lead an omega doomsday.

Once she was at least decent for Luna Nova, Akko grumbles before she catches the disappointed look on Lotte’s face. “Something the matter?” she asks the beta.

Lotte realizes the expression she was pulling before quickly melting it into something friendlier. “N-No, nothing is wrong, Akko, it’s just that…” she chuckles as if she was embarrassed. “Your perfume kinda smells horrible after a night of  _ your _ scent.”

Akko wasn’t sure if Lotte was ever capable of giving her a straight compliment about her scent. Lowkey the sentence made her want to wash away the perfume but the beta quickly insists that it was fine. 

“You sure? Because the way you worded it…” Akko trails off, feeling low after getting told she smelled bad, by a  _ beta, _ no less. 

“Then… Then how about this?” Lotte coos as she senses the sudden dip in her mood, opening her arms for an invitation. “Come closer to me.”

Blinking owlishly at her, the brunette went into her arms, wondering what she was about to do before Lotte’s fingers found their way to her chin, featherlight touches ghosting her skin in such a gentle way, Akko wouldn’t have felt it. She felt a breath on her collar, and before she could fathom what the beta was doing, she started  _ scenting _ her. 

Akko stood still as a rock when Lotte started nosing her neck gently, the blonde hair tickling her nose as the homey scent of old books surrounding her. And by Jennifer, Akko almost  _ purred. _ Luckily, she stopped herself before the sound made it out of her throat, but the way Lotte was nosing the gland on her neck was… different.  _ Is this another Finnish tradition? It should be, _ Akko thinks as Lotte continues to rub her hair on her neck as if she was trying to engrave her scent on her. It lasted for a few more moments before the scent of the beta had completely replaced the perfume, and the loss of contact made the brunette pout.

“There! You smell almost like me now!” Lotte chirps and she lets go before quickly noticing the crestfallen look on her teammate. “Akko?”

“Uh… Um…” Akko stutters, eyes turning to saucers as she realizes what happened; her teammate just  _ scented _ her right on the spot. The action almost felt alien; she hadn’t experienced scenting like that in a while. Only her parents had ever done that. She quickly puts a hand on the spot that Lotte basically engraved her fragrance in. “Thanks… for that.”

The beta smiles at her. “You’re welcome, Akko. Let’s go?”

Akko nods and they leave the room together, Lotte following her closely, almost shoulder to shoulder.

Sucy was gone in the laboratory in the meantime with Professor Lukic, so it was up to the beta on getting Akko far away from the alphas around the school. While it was a Sunday, and the students were probably milling about on their way to school, it didn’t stop the nagging voice behind Akko’s head that it was a red light to get out of her nest.

Nonetheless, hunger had beaten her instincts, so her body insists on walking these halls to the cafeteria just to get some food. 

But as the omega was looking forward to stuffing herself full, the beta, however, had all her alarms on. Scenting Akko had just been a thought made real in the spur of the moment. An action out of pure instinct. Now, with Akko smelling like her, it heightened Lotte's protectiveness over the brunette, carefully studying their surroundings to see if anybody would try anything stupid against them. Lotte was a beta, but she knew enough how to handle alphas. 

Fortunately, they arrived in the cafeteria safely with no interaction with other people, and the late hour of the morning made the whole room fairly spacious for the lack of other teams. Breakfast was planned to be fast, but the morning sunlight just felt so good in Akko’s skin, she wanted to stay by her spot on the table by the window for a bit longer. 

Akko stuffs herself with potato pancakes and a bunch of greens, finally getting her appetite back after the fiasco yesterday with the pack and the appointment. Recalling the event, Akko grimaces. The way the leader alpha talked about how disobedient omegas are not fit for society… The brunette shakes her head and swallows. Whatever. The guy was way too traditional, like, it’s already the 21st century! Who still thinks stuff like that?

_ Probably the teachers in this school, _ Akko could think of a certain old professor that acted like a stick in the mud. It was getting  _ so _ much harder. Especially when after this, Akko won’t be getting her suppressants anymore.  _ Stupid side-effects. _

Lotte quietly watches the red team leader eat her potatoes, and by the changing expressions on her face, she was probably thinking of yesterday. She won’t blame her; were Lotte be in her shoes, she would be extremely bothered by a pack trying to jump her too. And the doctor was no less weird, but she did manage to send the pack away. Lenient as betas were, it was impressive that a beta witch can get a pack of alphas to run with their tails between their legs.

But the ordeal was behind them now; all that was left to do is to just tend to the brunette for the next few weeks in order to avoid dying. Which, in retrospect, didn’t really deviate from the usual activity the red team does. Their leader was almost always in dangerous situations, be it intentional or not. 

The peaceful breakfast was broken, however, when a booming presence barged into the cafeteria, making the red team duo flinch in surprise. Over the tall double doors came strolling in the notorious peach team, Chloe leading the crew in tow. 

_ What the hell are they doing here at this hour?  _

Akko watches them as she carefully ducks down to avoid their gazes. The sudden intrusion of the scents of the alphas made her feel dizzy. Chloe and Sarah were one of the few most sought-after alphas in the school, so imagine Akko’s dismay as she  _ finally _ picks up their scent, figuring that aside from their looks and titles, there was something  _ else _ alluring to them. 

Apples and cinnamon, and other foreign stuff Akko didn't understand but one thing's for sure is that  _ wow, _ did they smell  _ good. _ The brunette almost couldn’t breathe as the scent of the alphas bombarded her senses so sensually she felt lightheaded. 

Lotte quickly sensed the discomfort her teammate was showing upon the arrival of the peach team. While her beta pheromones weren’t as strong as the two alphas blowing their pheromones into the hall, she still tries to comfort the omega in front of her. She collects the omega from her seat. “Akko, let’s go. You need to get out of here.”

“Y-Yeah…” Akko stands up, not looking over once towards the peach team as she tries straightening her thoughts back into rationality. 

Unfortunately for them, Elfriede, ever the kind beta of the team and their voice of reason, was quick to notice the two. “Good morning, Lotte! Akko!” she says, getting the attention of the two alphas beside her to swerve toward them.

The red team squeaked in surprise at the sudden greeting.  _ No one _ interacts with them. Nonetheless, Lotte returns the kind gesture to her fellow beta, fully aware of how strong the omega’s grip on the back of her shirt became. “E-Elfriede! Good morning. Of course, good morning to you too, Sarah, Chloe.”

Responding in kind, the team was about to go back to picking out their breakfast before Sarah notices Akko grimacing, eyes trained uncharacteristically to the ground. The brunette would usually be bouncing around with endless energy. It was weird seeing her like this so Sarah decides to call her out. “Uh, Akko?” By the sound of her name tumbling out of the tall alpha’s lips (in a french accent?!) she grips Lotte’s shirt harder. “You okay? You look… kinda pale."

_ God, _ she needs to say something,  _ anything, _ quick. In the split-second that was given to her to answer the question, Akko briefly reaches Sarah’s gaze with her own and forces her voice to be in its usual chipper. “I’m fine, Sarah! Thanks for asking!”

The redhead smiles as she finally sees the familiar look of the brunette. “Okay. If you say so.”

If there was ever a good time to bolt, it would be  _ right fucking now, _ but by some sick thought process that the peach team beta had, she was quick to pounce in front of the two again, stopping them from their goal. “Hey, hey! Before you go, have you two heard of the new rumor?”

Akko felt her eye twitch, not sure how long she was going to last in this suffocating place. “Rumor?” Lotte echoes without a clue. “N-No?”

"You don’t know? It’s what everyone was talking about this morning!” The peach team beta says in surprise. “Wangari and her team got this juicy story from a baker in Glastonbury this morning about how a student from our school managed to get jumped on by some alphas yesterday. Can you believe that?”

  
  


Oh. Shit.

Oh shit. Shit.  _ Shit. SHIT.  _ **_SHIT!_ ** Akko felt her mouth drying and Lotte freezing beside her. Out of any trouble they would get so early in the morning, it would have to be  _ this. _ Akko wanted to smash her head into a wall. 

“Really?” Lotte stammers out, equally stumped. “That-that sounds awful. I hope the student is okay.”

Akko felt Lotte grabbing her hand, gently squeezing it. It was a signal for her to say something. “Yeah! I mean, packs are really mean,”  _ Like super fucking cruelly mean, _ “But she’s a Luna Nova student. She probably took care of it?”

Blinking at the sudden quip from the brunette, Elfriede smiles widely. “Yeah, I get what you mean but there’s another thing!” Lotte and Akko step back as the peach team beta steps up to their faces. “They said that the reason the student got jumped on was because she was an  _ omega! _ ”

Right then, Akko thought her soul was going to leave her body. Her heart almost stopped then jumped right in her throat. Stress gripped her insides but she needed, she needed  _ composure, especially when two fucking alphas are right beside them watching her every fucking move, gods, save her, how did they know, when did they  _ **_see fuck fuck fuck fuck--_ **

Lotte’s hand was starting to get crushed by the omega. It grew cold and sweaty like somebody just dumped a bucket of ice on her, but the red team beta wasn’t much better. They were walking on very,  _ very _ thin ice right now with a pair of alphas right next to them hearing every word, and she has to choose  _ hers _ correctly. 

“A-Are you sure about that rumor, Elfriede? Another  _ omega? _ Here in Luna Nova?” Lotte stammers out, her heart beating fast as she feigns ignorance. Elfriede nods rapidly as stars erupted in her eyes, eager to get new gossips. “That… seems unlikely, I don’t want to vouch for that.”

Her answer seemed to be enough to let the other beta down easy. Elfriede visibly sinks and says, “Aww, you really think so?” When the duo thought the girl was about to drop the subject, she suddenly turned to the brunette. “What about you, Akko? What do you think about the new rumor?”

_ What do I think!? I think it’s going to get me prosecuted the second I get found out! _ Akko screams internally, the question stumping her. “Uhh--”

“Okay, Elfriede, I think it's time to drop the subject.” Fortunately for her, Chloe quickly grabbed her teammate’s shirt and pulled her back away from the red team. 

Elfriede pouts. “What!? But I was just getting into the mood!”

“Oh please,” Chloe scoffed with an eye roll. “You’re just going to make the story more farfetched.”

“Hey, at least I know when to make conversation!” The beta retorts. “And besides, don’t you think it’s really awesome? An omega got jumped by an alpha pack! That must’ve taken some guts right?”

“Guts? You actually really believe it, Elfriede?” Chloe laughs. “Omegas are so small and  _ weak. _ They’re pathetic. They’re only ever useful to sire pups. They can't herd away alphas, especially packs. And besides,” she sneers, “If that omega was smart enough to get away from an alpha pack, then she would’ve been smart enough to know that Luna Nova is a predominantly alpha academy. It’s like you’re basically asking for a death sentence. Might as well get bred in a den and it'd be less embarrassing than trying to stand the same footing as Luna Nova's alpha witches.”

Lotte’s jaw hung open as she hears the alpha’s remark in disbelief. The omega’s hand in her grip turned still. Even her teammates were aghast.

“Chloe!” Sarah reprimands her after regaining her composure. “That’s not a very nice thing to say!”

“Is it really?” The leader alpha glances at her before shrugging nonchalantly. “Considering how this academy had gone and opened its gates to lowly omegas, I’m saying nothing  _ but _ the truth. Should I encounter this omega, however,” The blonde starts walking away but not before Akko catches the dangerous glint in her eye. Her next words made the brunette’s heart drop. “She’ll be saying sorry for ever enrolling here.”

It was silent after that. Akko was sure there was never a time when she was as stressed out as she was now. Even Professor Finellan's midterm exams hadn't made her close to breaking down as she was right  _ now. _ Breakfast started to turn into bile in her stomach and threatened to come out as her heartbeat pulses in her ears. It took  _ all _ of her willpower to keep her composure but the batshit crazy remark almost made her double-over and purge right there on the spot. 

Sarah regained her voice a few moments later and quickly followed the other alpha with a glare. “Chloe! What the hell!” she briefly turns back to the red team. “Sorry for that guys, it’s just that-- She--”

“Chloe is just a  _ really _ traditional alpha.” Elfriede finishes. “Don’t worry, she doesn’t mean anything by that. Uh, bye then! Take care!”

The peach team quickly follows the french aristocrat into the mess hall with frowns on their faces and reprimands on the tip of their tongues. Akko and Lotte immediately took off, not wanting to hear another word.

When the double doors to the cafeteria were behind them, Lotte turned to the brunette beside her. “Akko?” she whispers and gently tilts her face to see. She felt the cold sweat clinging into the fair skin of the omega.

Akko was deathly pale, eyes wide and shaking in fear. If Lotte listens closely, she could hear how fast her heart was beating. If the short bursts of breaths and the clammy skin didn’t tell her enough, the omega’s shaky voice did. 

“L--Let’s go back. Please.” Akko whispers hoarsely.

And with that, they did. Lotte didn’t even need to be asked. 

Lotte watches the brunette beside her closely as they trudge back to their dorm, wondering what was going on inside the brunette’s mind after such… a proclamation. From a high alpha, no less. It might not completely help it but the beta was willing to lend the omega comfort.

Putting an arm across Akko’s back, she begins to rub their temples together; another intimate act of scenting. The entire conversation with the peach team had Akko stressed out so having the beta engage in another warm hug calmed her down almost instantly. Her heartbeat begins to slow and the anxiety that the alpha trapped in her mind melted away.

When her scent was completely engraved into the omega again, Lotte smiles and asks, “Better?”

Akko laughs a bit as the easy and homey scent of the beta surrounded her completely. The contrast between her scent of books and bread and the alphas in the cafeteria was unbelievable. “Y-Yeah. Thanks for saving my butt out there, Lotte.”

“Of course, Akko,” Lotte replies, “No one deserves to hear those awful words. Especially not you. Chloe was...” She purses her lips in anger. “She was  _ so _ out of line. Who says stuff like that?”

Akko’s grateful smile melts back into a frown but she doesn't answer her. All she could think of is the threat lying under the alpha’s statement, and if there’s anything the brunette knew of the alphas here in Luna Nova, is that they kept their word. With that in mind, dread slowly bubbled up in her chest again and constricted in anxiety.

She was hoping that whatever bullshit she encountered back in the cafeteria was the last thing to bite her ass today.

However, she was proven wrong again, when she caught  _ that _ smell from the hallways and her heart skips a beat.

  
  


***

  
  


_ Today’s the day, _ Diana thinks as she marches through the halls of the castle, searching for the familiar brunette hair, then wondering how she will respond to her invitation to a little private library study.  _ Hopefully, a ‘yes.’ _

The heiress felt herself go light at the idea of finally spending time with the brunette. Diana planned on researching a bit on Luna Nova’s history of their Samhain festivals. Even if it were from the books alone, it seems like a good place to start and build her and Akko's relationship again. Especially when it’s nearly the end of the Harvest Season.

Monday would have them pick out for their roles in the preparations for the Samhain festival. Diana was already assigned to be one of the chiefs in supervising it, so she was immune to that. Akko wasn’t so this was their only free time left before the grueling time of practicing, building, and brain-storming for the event.

And Diana is planning to have them talk for a bit before that. Because, you know, Akko is a good person to talk to. Any sane person would want to spend time with someone fun to be with.

So with this in mind, Diana continues to survey the area for the brunette, history book in hand.  _ Though where could she be? _ The heiress thinks. 

Figuring Akko was probably still at her dorm, Diana makes her way to it, hoping to find the girl there. Her assumption bore fruits fortunately when she sniffs the air and finds the familiar scent of the red team beta on the way.

Lotte is there, so maybe Akko is too, the heiress thinks and quickly turns the corner. Lo and behold, there Akko was!

"D-D-DIANA!?" 

  
  
  


… Who didn’t look too happy in seeing her. 

“Akko,” Diana calls with a smile nonetheless. Lotte noticed her first as she raised her head and... she seemed equally shocked? “Good morning, you two.”

She steps closer before noticing how strong the scent of Lotte had become. Upon closer inspection, she realized the scent didn’t come off from the Finnish witch alone but from her teammate as well. Diana almost stopped cold. 

“Hey! Hi!” Akko yelps as her voice reaches several pitch higher.  _ Great. Another alpha and of course it’s Diana, _ she thinks as she tries not to breathe. “Good morning!  _ Fancy _ seeing you here! Is-Is there anything we can help you with?”

The heiress steps closer and watches the red team duo carefully as Lotte’s scent bounced off from Akko so strongly. It… wasn’t really something she expected. Still, she has a mission and she needs to do it now. “Are you free today?”

Akko blinks when she accidentally inhales the heiress’s scent. It was just as amazing as yesterday, yet somehow as she steps closer, Akko could tell that the alpha was… apprehensive. “Um… what?”

Diana clears her throat and tries to ignore how the other beta’s scent clung to the brunette’s skin. “I said, are you free today? I was thinking we could go to the library together for a little study session on the history of the Samhain festival.”

“Umm…” Akko steps back as she glances away from the heiress. On one hand; Diana wants to hang out with her. On the other; a foreseeable meltdown that might eventually lead to Diana finding out of her dynamic and leave. Chloe’s comment comes back to the front of her brain and she realizes how badly the consequences outweighed the benefits.

Not to mention  _ Diana’s scent. _ By the Nine, now that she was nearly in Akko’s arm's length, she realized how she smelled so much better than any alpha she’s known. It was  _ magic _ ; she could basically smell how it beats through the veins of the heiress. Paired with its minty blooms, the scent could attract anybody that Diana wanted.

So how much more was it for Akko?  _ Shit! I want to say yes but… _ Akko grits her teeth in frustration. The stress in her body being surrounded by alphas was becoming unbearable. It coiled inside her and waited for a time to snap. It would lead to something bad one way or another; the only way to stop it is probably finishing this interaction  _ fast _ so she could snap there. 

Finally deciding, she steps behind Lotte and hides her face on the beta’s back, shaking her head to reject the alpha’s invitation.

The action stumped Diana. She stares as the brunette hid behind Lotte, making herself look smaller than she actually was before whispering, “Sorry, Diana but I have something… something else to take care of.”

Something in Diana dropped at that. Though her heart started to beat faster from the explicit rejection, she still needs to retrieve her calm demeanor. Even when the way the brunette clutched at Lotte tugged at her in ways that… she didn't like. Now that she has her answer, Diana goes back to her next question and clears her throat. “Can you tell me why at least?” she asks. “Perhaps I can help you with it.”

Unbeknownst to the alpha, her statement seemed to strike the omega deep. Akko peeks at her from the corner of her eyes and sees the hurt and slight desperation in them. The last sentence echoes in her head.  _ Diana helping me… in my heat? _

The thought alone almost made a tremor make its way towards her body again but Akko quickly bites down on her fist, the pain of her canines digging into her skin making her snap out of it because  _ gods, she has to! _ She would not get anyone else involved in this shitstorm inside her, especially not a high-ranking alpha such as Diana!

She hears Lotte and Diana gasping when she bites down painfully enough that the scent of the alpha didn’t seem so intrusive anymore. Once she regains her rationality, Akko shakes her head rapidly as the pain makes her focus on it instead of the heiress, even when it hurts so bad that tears start to prickle her eyes. 

Lotte turns to the omega and carefully pries the fist out of her mouth. “A-Akko, don’t do that!” she chides.

Diana immediately went over upon seeing the blood trickle down from the fist. “Let me see--”

“No!” Akko yelps, pulling her hand away farther. Lotte immediately pulls her back to her.

Diana widens her eyes at the action.  _ What was going on? _ “But I need to heal--”

“D-Diana, look,” The beta glances around the hallway before turning back to her. “Don’t take this the wrong way but this is a really tough time for Akko, alright? She--” Akko whimpers and cradles her hand. Lotte shushes her gently and starts pulling the brunette into the dorm before she turns to the heiress. “Maybe some other time, okay?” 

Diana frowns deeply as she tries to get closer. “But--”

_ “Bye! _ ”

The red team turns for their dorm in a dash, not even sparing Diana a glance. They disappear through the door and slam it shut, leaving the heiress alone in the hallway with a cracked spirit. 

Disappointed. She was so disappointed. No, something more hurtful than that. Regret? Yes, that’s about it. Diana purses her lips as the rejection sunk her mood completely. She sighs and shakes her head, absolutely not knowing what to do. 

Should she just barge into the dorm and help Akko right then? But Lotte’s warning…

Diana lets her arms fall limp to her sides as she stares at the door to the red team’s room, waiting for it to open again, but when a few moments pass by, she decides to leave.

The heiress grimaces at her attempt to invite Akko out for a study session. Instead of getting greeted by a smile and a nod, she instead gets a firsthand witness of Akko biting her own knuckles and hiding behind her teammate. From  _ her! _

Diana’s hands curl into a fist.  _ What is happening to her? _ Diana thinks as she recalls how Akko seemed to be so afraid. Never had she seen the brunette become like that, not even in front of her aunt or in front of any monster or great witch. Sure, her legs shook but Akko always came around for everything. And yet a mere invitation from Diana managed to push her that far?

Diana had no clue. All she could think of is that maybe next time, it would go better.

  
  
  


***

  
  


Doors banging shut, Lotte saw Akko quickly taking her shirt off and her eyes rounded. She would’ve said something about the omega getting topless out of the blue but when she turned around, the beta noticed how close to tears she was. “Akko?”

The brunette dives into her nest and shuffles wildly. Not flailing around or anything but she was… digging herself into the bed, like she was trying to get comfy. "Too hot, too hot, too hot…"

Akko then whimpers and lays still as she cradles her bloodied hand before Lotte notices the peak of sweet omega pheromones bloom in the air.

Lotte finally gets it as the brunette’s body trembles on the mattress.  _ She’s having a heat tremor, _ she realizes, quickly turning red when Akko  _ moans _ into the pillow. The sound was unbelievably high-pitched and  _ erotic, _ something she imagined Belle wound sounds like in Nightfall volume 89 when Edgar was pen--

The beta smacks herself on the face.  _ FOCUS! This is not the time to think of Belle and Edgar doing ‘it’! _ Quickly taking the pitcher on their desk, she pours the cool water into a cup, takes the emergency kit, and crouches down next to Akko’s bed. “A-Akko, you need a drink. Here.”

Akko whimpers and curls herself into a ball, burying her face into the pillow.  _ Is it still going? _ Lotte thinks as she places the glass down and carefully puts a hand on the brunette’s bare arm. She was burning up. Heat basically radiated off Akko, her scent becoming so sweet and enticing that when she moaned  _ again _ , it went straight to Lotte’s groin.

_A-Akko, I’m so sorry,_ the beta thinks as she turns redder, not expecting to get turned on by that _but can you blame her? Christ, that was_ ** _so_** **_hot_** _. Not to mention Akko’s currently_ ** _half-naked_** _. If Lotte was an alpha, she would’ve been looking at a four-course meal ready to chow._

The beta waits for a few more moments for the heat tremor to stop. Akko continues to shuffle around her spot on the bed, rubbing her legs together and moaning every now and then but it eventually halted. Lotte finally breathed as the brunette’s pheromones didn’t smell so powerful anymore, taking the injured hand and began cleaning it for bandaging. 

Sometimes being a beta paid off. She didn’t get too horny despite the very fertile omega in front of her. The beta briefly wonders how alphas would act were they in her position right now. 

“Done.” Lotte mutters as she snips the gauze off. She picks the glass of water up and holds it out to Akko, who was breathing heavily into her pillow, bangs getting stuck by the sweat collecting on her forehead. “Akko, please drink something. You can go to sleep then.”

Akko nods and slowly sits up. When she drinks half the glass away, she sighs in relief, her body temperature immediately lowering. When she finishes two glasses and her temperature becomes normal again, she finally speaks. “Thanks, Lotte. If you weren’t there, I would've outed myself to Diana already.”

The beta smiles and stands up, taking the cup away. “You're thanking me a lot today, Akko.” She places it along with the pitcher and casts a stronger scent-blocking spell on the room again. “I'm just doing what my instincts are telling me to do. Even with the alphas.” At the thought of the dynamic, Lotte thinks of the heiress and she turns to the brunette. "Speaking of which, Diana looked very sad when you rejected her. Should we do something about that?" 

Akko grumbles and flops back down to the bed. “Hahh… Remind me to apologize to her when we see her after this.”

“Sure,” Lotte replies as she finally sits down and sighs, sagging into the desk chair. The beta closes her eyes before she hears Akko’s voice calling her again. “Yes, Akko?”

“Can you hold me?” The omega asks, pulling her blanket around herself.

Lotte’s eyes bulged out of their sockets, heat running up to her face. “H-Hold you?”

The omega pouts and starts batting her eyelashes at her. “Pretty please? Your scent is really comforting for me. Pleeease?” Akko whines in such a cute voice that Lotte realizes this was going to be  _ so unfair _ to her. 

When she started doing the puppy-eyes on her, Lotte knew she lost. “Fine…” The beta sighs and walks over to the omega’s nest where Akko quickly makes room for her. Lotte felt how soft the sheets had become when she sits down, the scent and softness of it making her comfortable quickly. 

Akko giggles at her teammate’s reaction to her nest and flops down to her pillow. Lotte follows suit and carefully hugs the brunette from behind. “This is nice,” she says absentmindedly, the omega’s scent surrounding her, making her mind  _ fuzzy _ and  _ warm _ . 

Akko wiggles a bit to get comfortable and Lotte feels the brunette’s butt press into her. She turns red but the sleepiness won over her perverse mind. Leveled breaths started to come out of the brunette and Lotte follows her, the duo falling asleep immediately.

When Sucy came back an hour later, she saw her other two teammates sprawled on the omega’s nest, sleeping. She scoffs then goes to her side of the dorm and into her makeshift lab. 

She wonders if the two already knew about the new rumor circulating Luna Nova. Probably. But whether or not they knew it didn't matter. All Sucy needs to do anyway is to get that rumor as far from Akko as it needs to be.

So despite a session of alchemy with Professor Lukic tiring her, the red team alpha begins putting in her new ingredients for Akko's scent double, using the lingering scent of a fresh heat tremor in the air to work as reference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So.  
> Um.  
> That was a pretty intense chapter, eh?
> 
> For clarification, this story is not at all LottexAkko, I'm just trying to show what betas go through in taking care of others, cuz u know, Lotte is awesome like that. And it miiiiiight be my headcanon that Lotte is secretly the hidden boss of red team cuz I mean *chuckles* faerie witch and all that jazz (also fanatic characters are the strongest character tropes, thou shan't convince me otherwise)
> 
> And it looks like Diana is getting her work cut out of her! She's definitely going to suffer the consequences of being a sheltered alpha later on. ;)) Speaking of alphas, I re-introduced Chloe! I'm thinking she's more fleshed out here than in my previous fic so at least I'm not egging her on. She's basically the anti-hero. 
> 
> Lemme see in the comments below what you guys think of this chapter :)


	6. Back Again

For the rest of the Sunday, Diana’s mood had dipped considerably. She was sitting in the library,  _ alone _ , hunched over a history book over Luna Nova’s festivities for the end of Harvest Season, despite having finished and read this years ago, when she was in the Cavendish manor. It was redundant and it served little to distract the heiress of the fact that she was here in the library  _ alone, _ despite all the planning that perhaps a certain brunette would be with her for the rest of the afternoon.

The rose-tinted daydreams she’s had yesterday whilst snapping a student’s sprained ankle back to its place was sent down the drain and all the studying that tried to make up for it worked as good as a fork in eating cereal. Diana puts down her book in frustration, unnoticing of the other students in the vicinity quickly flinching away from her.

As Diana steeped herself in the corner of the table, one brave beta (possibly a library staff) came up to her. She smells the fear in her scent. “Uh… M-Miss Cavendish?” The heiress’s attention snapped to her. The beta’s shoulders squawked in fear but she stands her ground. “Is… Is there anything bothering you?”

“No, there’s nothing of such.” The lie passes through Diana’s clenched jaw rather easily. 

“O-Oh… Then can I ask you to tone your scent down a little?” She asks, smile wavering.

Diana confusedly blinks at her. “Whatever do you mean?”

“Y-Your scent, Miss Cavendish…” The beta’s eyes flash from the side then back to her. “It’s really troubling the other students trying to read…”

Oh. 

_ Oh. _

Diana’s cheeks redden in embarrassment and finally notices how, indeed, her scent spiked in the last few moments. She probably reeked of anger despite the blank look on her face. Schooling her composure, she sits straighter and wills her scent to be a little less obnoxious. 

Once her scent was relaxed, the heiress quickly collects her stuff. “I-I deeply apologize for that. I should take my leave now, it’s...” She checks the clock on the wall and her face fell. “It’s already been an hour.”

The freshman backed away as Diana stood and left for the door. “Oh, o-okay. Um, thank you for your consideration, Miss Cavendish.”

The walk back to her dorm was blurry as the moments bleed together and she was already at the door. Hannah greets her first when she walks through but Barbara notices the dull scent of their leader faster. 

“Uh, Diana?” The alpha turns over to the two betas. Barbara tries for a smile. “How was your study session with Akko?”

Diana’s face visibly sours and turns away. “She didn’t come with me.”

“What!?” Their combined voices made the heiress’s ears pop for a second before the redheaded beta scrambles out of her seat to stand up. “Again!? Why?”

The heiress rumbles her chest and growls at them, annoyed. Her scent blooms into ire and the two betas quickly pick this up. Diana’s icy blue eyes freeze her teammates under her gaze, the pupils dilated to thin, angry slits. It was akin to that of a tundra wolf ready to pounce on an enemy, and the two betas knew better than to push their luck. Rarely did Diana ever get this angry.

It took a moment of awfully cold tension before the scent of ire was replaced by disappointment. Diana sighs and shakes her head, eyes melting into regret and apprehension. “I-I apologize. It’s just…”

Barbara smiles again and gently says, “It’s okay, take your time, Diana.”

“Why don’t you have a cup of tea first?” Hannah offers to please the distressed alpha. “We can talk over it then.”

A cup of earl grey and shortbread later, Diana relays the earlier events about trying to get Akko out to a friendly study session, which ended a little worse than it should. The heiress sighs again and picks up her teacup. “I don’t understand. Why didn’t she let me heal her? She knew I could’ve done it. Was it because she thought I couldn’t?”

Barbara was quick to interject. “Of course not, Diana! Surely as stupid--” The heiress glares and the beta corrects herself, “I-I mean, as dense as Akko is, she surely knows that you’re more than capable of healing her!”

“Yeah, like, how many times did you heal her at the start of the term when she was practicing her flying?” Hannah supported. “Maybe she’s just really stressed about something after all and she didn’t want you to get involved.”

“Perhaps,” Diana relents and purses her lips in thought. “But the way she blatantly didn’t want me to get closer…”

“Aw, don’t fret Diana!” Barbara pours herself another cup of tea and says, “You know how brash she often acts; Akko’s probably just acting shy.”

“And why, pray tell, would she act  _ shy _ around me?”

That shut her up. Barbara goes back to sipping her tea then but her words still rung on Diana’s ears.  **_Would_ ** _ she act shy around me? But that isn’t enough to warrant her biting her own knuckles… _ Diana leans back on the chair, basically sagging against it before her aunt's troubling words came back.  _ Unless… _   
  
“Oh, that’s right,” Hannah suddenly spoke as she finishes off her biscuit. “Have you heard, Diana?”

She sighs but was too tired to get angry. “Heard what?”

“About the story of a new omega on the block.” From the word ‘omega’, the heiress instantly shot up from her slouched pose on the chair, looking at the redhead with a shocked gaze. Barbara hums. “Wangari showed up this morning in the courtyard talking about how a witch from Luna Nova got jumped by an alpha pack yesterday, apparently because she was an omega.”

“Is it now?” Diana whispers and she suddenly remembers the captivating scent from yesterday. Thinking of it now, its memory struck Diana again and she grips the armrest.  _ So the scent from yesterday… _ “But how did she know that the witch was even from here? There are several more omega witches around parts of Glastonbury and Blytonbury.”

Hannah shrugged nonchalantly. “I don’t know, all Wangari said is that there was a witch omega that got jumped and the baker who told her said she came from Luna Nova.”

The alpha purses her lips at the answer, but nonetheless, she drops the subject. It wasn't in Diana's nature to indulge in these things and Wangari had a tendency to exaggerate stories more than it should, considering that’s her job as a reporter, but following what she found yesterday, it couldn’t be too far off. So the heiress leaves it at that and stands up and goes for her room. 

  
  


***

  
  


Due to Diana’s exemplary performance as committee chief of last year’s Samhain Festival, Professor Finellan had asked her to become this year’s committee chief of her year again. Seeing as it was a request from a teacher, she accepted. It wasn’t a problem. And she was still willing to pick out of the hat again should the offer be taken back, but now that her role has already been decided, is there another reason why she was still here in the classroom?

The heiress taps her pen against the parchment, stippling mindlessly as different team leaders went up in the front and pulled out a piece of paper from the tall witch hat, witnessing their reaction to given different roles. 

“Oh-- beautification yet again,” Avery mutters on her way back to her team. Blair and Mary cheer silently. 

“Okay, so that’s the violet team, up next…” Professor Chariot ticks through the list in her hand before freezing. “A-Ah… Red team, please pick out your role here from the hat.”

The whole classroom looks back towards the aforementioned team. Diana turns and watches their brunette leader, who seemed to tense under the gaze of her classmates, waiting for her to stand up. She was silent the whole morning being huddled by her teammates, with barely answering any questions thrown at her. It was strange seeing the brunette keep a low profile like this, but the bandage on her hand only caught attention for herself. Diana grimaces at the sight, knowing full well how she got that bandaged in the first place. 

Last year, the red team’s role was being the Sacrifices for the ghost of Vajarois, but by some wicked scheme their leader had come up, they'd broken the curse instead and stole the spotlight. The role of sacrifice was gone and everyone waited with bated breaths to see what the chaotic team would get this year.

Instead of Akko standing up, however, Sucy got out of her seat. The action surprised Diana and everyone else. It was usually Akko who got up and did these things but the red team alpha had come down and gone to it. The heiress watches the alpha closely before turning to the red team’s betas. 

Akko’s shoulders dropped dramatically and… was that a smile Diana seeing? To Sucy? Diana’s heart clenched strangely in… envy. She turns back to the front when she sees Lotte putting an arm around the brunette and pulling her close.  _ Red team is acting weird around Akko… well, weirder than they usually are, _ the heiress thinks as she glares at her pen and paper, the gears in her head turning fast.

Sucy reaches down the hat and pulls out a paper. She opens it briefly and claims, “We’ve got kitchen duty.”

That… sounded tame enough. Sighs of relief filled the room as Sucy went back to her spot with her team, Lotte and Akko looking like they just evaded a crisis. 

When all of the teams finally got their roles for the festival, Professor Chariot dismissed the class. But just as Diana was beginning to collect her parchment, the professor quickly added, “Oh, but red, green, and blue teams, please remain in your seats!”

“Hmm?” Barbara whispers, “I wonder what this could be.”

When all of the other students left, Amanda spoke up from her corner. “So? What’s the tea, Professor Char?”

Diana glares at the tactless words that left the green team alpha’s mouth. “Please address the professor correctly, Amanda.”

Amanda glared back with equal disparity and was about to retort before the Frenchwoman beat her to the punch. “ _ Ahem, _ please sit properly in your seat, Miss O’Neill.” The redhead quickly straightens her pose and the professor nods in approval before turning to them. “Now that everyone is settled, there’s something that the school is asking you, students, to do once more for this year’s Samhain Festival.”

Diana blinks and tilts her head, following the reactions of the other eight witches. They were equally confused. 

“As you all know, this year’s Samhain Festival has garnered a lot of attention from different witches across the globe. As such, more of our alumni have decided to gather across the world just to visit its new growing facets of first-generation witches and the school is asking you Nine,” Professor Chariot motions for all of them. “To participate once again and to perform a show in the contest for Moonlit Witch.”

The nine students widened their eyes in surprise, the announcement catching them off-guard. “Why?” Amanda asks as the professor's words sunk in. “I mean, I don’t mind, but if they’re looking into performances, shouldn’t they ask Akko instead?”

Eyes turned to the witch in question, who quickly turned away. Chariot answers, “W-Well, that was the request of our alumni. It was unanimous, and they didn’t specify who, so…” the Frenchwoman shrugs and tries for a smile. “They’re asking you all for a performance instead of just Miss Kagari. All of you have contributed immensely in bringing back magic so it’s only fitting. And besides,” Chariot smiles. “You don’t have to accept it if it's too much. And if you do, don’t hesitate to come to me for advice.”

There was a pregnant pause after that, the teams glancing at themselves in thought. Hannah and Barbara turned the alpha. “What do you think, Diana?” the dark-haired beta asks. 

Diana hums, trying to see her mental calendar to see if there was any space of time she could squeeze in for magical practices but the front of her mind only kept going back to the brunette. She briefly glances back to her then and sees Akko whispering harshly to her teammates. Akko would most likely participate; this was what she came here in Luna Nova in the first place, to perform magic tricks and bring smiles to other people’s faces. If anything, this was probably more for Akko than for the rest of them; at least that was what Diana saw.

When the heiress was thinking of asking Akko what her thoughts were then, the green team alpha suddenly stood up and turned to the brunette. “What about it, Akko!?” 

The red team leader flinches, eyes widening. “U-Uh, what? Um…” Akko stammers, visibly taken aback. Her eyes wander anywhere but the green team. Lotte nudges her arm and says, “Uhh, I can’t say, haha…”

_ What? She can’t say? _ Diana stares incredulously at the brunette. While Akko had her times of indecisiveness, it was never in these sorts of things; the Akko Diana knew would accept this in less than a heartbeat. Things around the brunette didn’t make sense anymore and she had enough of it.

As Diana scowled, she started to stand up to directly call the brunette out if not for Chariot’s impeccable timing. “Okay, if you guys don’t have any more questions, you’re free to go now!” She says with a clap of her hands.

“Finally,” Hannah whispers as she begins collecting her stuff, her partner following suit. As the other students began leaving the room, Diana was left half-standing from her seat, mouth agape and watching the brunette quickly getting flocked by her teammates like bodyguards scrambling to leave class. 

“Diana?” Barbara nudges her when she just stands there staring at the red team’s retreating figures. “We should go to our dorm now to plan things out.”

It was a moment before Diana finally said, “Yes, we should.” The heiress’ jaw clenched, trying her best not to show her disdain but of course, her teammates noticed it.

“Diana? Is something wrong?” Hannah got the guts to ask when they were walking to their room. “You’ve been… broody. We don’t have to perform if it seems too much for you.”

“It’s not that,” Diana snaps, eyes forward. One more bullshit and she would probably lose her shit and snap at the next person who says another word. “I’m okay with performing again.”

“Then what is it?” Barbara asks again then Diana sees the gears turning in the dark-haired beta’s eyes when she realizes what it is. “ _ Ohh… _ Is it Akko again?”

“Is it so obvious?” The alpha sighs.

The blue team betas glance at each other but they didn’t say another word. Diana sighs again as wonders what has gotten into her. She was usually not this concerned whenever it came to Akko… Okay, so that was a lie, but she’s never been this emotional over the brunette's decision before. Diana wasn’t even sure what triggered it; maybe it was the rejection from yesterday, or Akko’s uncharacteristically low-profile the whole morning, or just the overall fact that she’s  _ Akko _ and Diana was flat-out  _ whipped _ for the girl. 

The heiress hated to admit it but she was, and the fact that Akko was acting all strange didn’t help. _ Should I give her more space? _ Diana thinks when they were halfway towards their dorm. Different students hovered about, chatting and whatnot.

Diana’s mind was nowhere and numb before--

_ It’s back. _

Diana stills immediately, her footfall breaking as all of a sudden the breath in her lungs got taken away. Blue eyes round in surprise before its irises dilate in  _ lust, adoration, and desire. _

Hannah and Barbara pause behind her, confused about why their leader suddenly froze. “Diana?” She hears one of them call but it was so far away compared to the captivating aroma that begged her inner wolf to chase down.

And for the first time, she listens to it.

_ This scent-- _ The alpha breaks in a sprint, her senses going overdrive as she follows her nose, not caring about her teammate’s yelp in surprise. She briefly sniffs out the other students’ surprise for the normally composed heiress speeding down the hallways like this, but the smell of strawberries and sakura had her tunnel her senses down to it only.  _ It’s here! _

Diana turns a corner, not giving a flying fuck when she spots a professor down the edge of the hall because it’s the scent that’s leading her away and  _ god, it smells so good, what is it,  _ **_what what what--_ **

Diana inhales the musky scent of sweet pheromones. It was stronger, closer than the alpha finally realizes where it could be then:  _ there! _

She skids to a stop when the scent intensifies behind the laboratory door. Diana’s breath comes out in deep puffs as she eyes the old slab of wood, pondering on slamming it open like a mad man begging for water before her higher mind finally caught up to her sensual overdrive.

It slaps her primal alpha back and she suddenly realizes what she’s doing. Diana steps back from the door like it caught fire.  _ This… This scent led me here, _ she thinks, staring up at the door. It’s right behind there.  _ It’s right… right inside, behind the door-- _

**_No_ ** . Diana grabs her hand and pulls it away from the knob, eyes trembling as her higher mind tries to win back its rationality.  _ I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t, I shouldn’t. This is everything against my principles as Luna Nova’s de facto Alpha. I need control, I need control, I need control, I need  _ **_to fucking see what that scent is--_ **

She opens the door, more forcefully than it should’ve but fuck that was all Diana could do because all she could think of is  _ that scent. _ Her eyes finally lay on the rows of tabletops with cauldrons, trying to find its source. She steps inside as she becomes more desperate to know where it was coming from before her gaze falls into a small, lit cauldron on the far corner of the room. 

The heiress carefully approaches it, the scent intensifying before looking over the bowl. It was filled with pink bubbling liquid, its aroma filling the room so heavily that Diana knew it would cling for a few days more. 

It soon dawned on Diana what she was looking at.  _ So the scent… The scent is just-- _

“What the fuck are  _ you _ doing here, Cavendish?”

FUCK! Diana turns in the direction of the sudden voice, startled beyond her wits. “Sucy!” she shouts in shock as the red team alpha’s eyes bore into her menacingly. Diana starts stammering. “I-I was… I--”

“You were what?” The other alpha asks as she glares at Diana with more anger than the heiress thought. Diana tries to think of an excuse but her mind only comes up blank. Sucy scoffs. “Tsk, this is annoying. If you’re just gonna stand there, Cavendish, scram. Or  _ else.” _

At the threat, Diana’s alpha (that was still over her higher mind) took offense. She stands straighter and gives an equally menacing gaze to the puce-haired witch. “Or else what, Sucy? You’re not exactly in the position to demand something like that when  _ you’re _ the one here using the laboratory without permission.”

If the air of the room didn’t smell so good and enticing, Diana would’ve noticed how the other alpha’s scent bloomed into ire. “I  _ do _ have permission, Cavendish,” she grabs something from her pocket, walks up to the taller alpha, and hands it over before going to grab her cauldron. “Now that you know I’m not illegally brewing here in this academy’s esteemed lab, get lost.”

Diana looks down at the note and indeed, it was a signed permission from both Professor Chariot and Professor Lukic to let Sucy Manbavaran use the laboratory and its tools. Nonetheless, her alpha still demands answers for the scent in the cauldron. She turns to the alpha collecting her brew in vials and asks, “What exactly are you doing here, Sucy?”

Sucy growls, her teeth glaring white and sharp. “Should it matter to you?”

“As chief prefect of the festival committee, it does. Your team is assigned for the preparation of food for the Samhain festival and I’m only doing my job to overlook your performances and see if you aren’t planning,” Blue eyes briefly glance down to the cauldron. “Anything vile with that.”

At the last bit, Sucy barks out a laugh. “Ha! With something like this?” She holds up a vial and cackles again. “Don’t put words in my mouth, Diana, I’m doing any sort of shit. And besides, I’m too busy for that. Now get lost.”

The blue team alpha scowls, unmoving. “You still haven’t answered my question, Manbavaran.”

“And why don’t I throw it back at you, hm?” Sucy deflects easily. “Why are  _ you _ doing here? Kinda weird seeing you suddenly barging into the laboratory unprompted. What got you in here in the first place? Did someone tip you off? Or maybe...” The other alpha holds up the now-pink vial to her face and throws a sly smirk at the blue team alpha. “You got carried away by this scent here?”

Diana flushes red as she stares at the vial, the mouth-watering blooms of sakura and strawberries making her mind go numb. She shakes her head again and turns to the other alpha’s eyes instead. “I won’t deny it, I caught it all the way from the other side of the castle; it’s  _ that _ strong. Just exactly what are you doing with a perfume that smells like an omega?”

The red team alpha pauses from pouring more of the pink liquid into one of her vials. “So you do know what an omega smells like,” Sucy whispers hoarsely. Then she glares, angrier than before. “This is none of your business, Cavendish. And I’m not going to use this for anything so back off.”

When she starts to collect her potions to leave, Diana catches her arm and angry red eyes meet blue ones. “I just need to know how you know this scent. And what are you going to do with it.”

The tension turned heavy fast. Sucy glares, pupils shrinking to menacing slits before slapping Diana’s hand away. “Last chance, Cavendish,” she threatens, jaw clenched and scent becoming so overbearingly rancid that Diana recoils. “You better leave now before  _ shit _ goes flying.”

Sucy’s scent had changed from its usual air of lenience and became downright poisonous. It spoke anger and exasperation. Diana glances at the vials and her face pinches. “Fine,” she finally says. The rancid odor didn’t drop. “But can I ask you something before I go?”

Snarling, Sucy snaps, “Fine, if that’s what’s going to get you to leave.”

_ Fair enough _ , Diana thinks as she looks down at the pink vials, staring at them like she could probably break down its basic components. “How did you know about this scent?” 

“What the heck do you mean?” Sucy sighs exasperatedly.

“The other day, when I was traveling back from Wedinburgh, I caught this scent in Glastonbury.” Diana explains and the way Sucy froze wasn’t missed by her. “It was obviously from an omega. And what you just brewed smells exactly like it,” Diana looks at her in the eyes now. “Can you at least tell me if you know anything about this?”

The blue team alpha watches the other alpha closely. Sucy pinches her lips together in a tight frown as her one visible eye twitched. “This exact scent?” Sucy points at her cauldron.

Diana nods. “Yes. Do you know anything about it?”

The red team alpha glares before scoffing. “No. I don’t.” Her voice turned hoarse and her scent became apprehensive as the words left her mouth. She was lying but Diana knew she shouldn’t push the other alpha unless she was willing to invite a potion to the head. 

“Okay. Thank you for your time then, Sucy.” She turns a heel and walks away from the worktop, away from the other alpha, and away from that scent. It was unfathomable how the puce-haired witch managed to replicate the scent; while she was talented for alchemy (so much so that Professor Lukic took her in her advanced class immediately), Diana hadn’t known she could actually copy another scent of a person.

_ She knows about it, _ the blue team alpha thinks.  _ Otherwise, she wouldn’t make this. But where? _

When Diana was about to swing the door open to leave, Sucy unexpectedly said, “You better be careful with your nose there, Cavendish.” Diana looks back at the other alpha and finds her glaring menacingly again. “Whatever it was you smelled, it’s not mine. But it’s close.”

Like they were magic words, Diana’s heart started to thump faster.  _ It’s close? _ The alpha thinks, waiting to see if Sucy was going to say anything more but it was clear that she had nothing left when she looked back into the cauldron again. 

Diana takes it as her cue to leave and slams the door shut, the musky air of copy-pheromones becoming not so enticing more. She walks back to the path to her dorm as she ponders on what the puce-haired witch just said. _ It’s close? What does she mean by that? That the scent is here? Obviously, she knows something. Maybe even the omega? _

Her breath hitches and she shakes her head. No, she wouldn’t have. Maybe she also smelled the same scent too, like what Diana did. Maybe Sucy was so captivated by it that she decided to make a scent-double? No, while Sucy was talented, no one could replicate a scent that accurately without a proper reference.  _ Then how? How did she get it, how did she know, how how, how-- _

Diana shakes away the thoughts intruding on her. She looks back to the hallway where a team of freshmen was being led by another fellow alpha she recognized to be on the committee team. Quickly enough, one of the freshmen spotted her and said, “Miss Cavendish!”

“Hmm?” Carmen turns around and sees the heiress. “Oh, perfect timing! Diana, I’d like you to meet some new faces. Girls, this is Diana--”

Diana goes over and looks over the new team to help the committee with the preparation of the festival but as she tries to fit into the conversation and remember their faces, her thoughts only continue to spiral down.

Sucy’s words ring like a mantra in her head as she ponders what they meant. Sucy was just as tactless as Amanda but she often held an air of crypticness that was hard to discern. When Diana figures that this must be a fellow alchemy professor’s influence, she shakes away the thought again, knowing Sucy wouldn’t say things like these unless there’s a reason.

_ And oh was there such a reason _ . Diana followed the group closely as Carmen continued explaining the works of a committee member, the heiress adding a few comments here and there but she mostly stuck to her thoughts. 

She was dragged along the castle and the courtyards for a bit where newer witches were dillydallying around but she finally went back to her dorm a bit after the sun had set, where she finally met up with her teammates and began planning for their new performance. 

But as Diana pulls the cover over herself in bed, thoughts of the scent’s owner began glimpsing the front of her mind, and very briefly, hopes that rumor about the new omega in Luna Nova was true.

  
  


***

  
  


Akko was  _ freaking _ out when Sucy said that Diana recognized her scent. The brunette paces around Professor Chariot’s room as she pulls a bit on her hair because  _ how did Diana even catch her scent? Just how? Fucking _ **_how?_ **

Anxiety gripped her heart and she almost felt like puking. Things she had on the line; trust, friends, hell, even teachers. Everything she built on the first year would come crashing down on the boiling factor that would surely rebuke all her efforts. Because it was Diana. And were she to discover her first, the highest alpha of Luna Nova’s student body, then she’d lose her first of all things.

“Uhh, what should I do, Professor Chariot!?” Akko turns to her mentor who was feeding her bird. “Diana will be suspicious of me now! I-I can’t go on out there with  _ her _ on my tail!”

Chariot frowns at the sight of her student scrambling around her office, the scent of anxiety clinging into the scent that Chariot could smell clearly now. She places down the bowl of sesame seeds and carefully hugs the brunette, releasing sweet pheromones of her own to try and calm the girl down. Akko was quickly appeased when her scent shifted to a calmer, homier fragrance. 

“Calm yourself, Akko. Stress would only trigger your heats faster so you need to remain as level-headed as possible,” Chariot whispers as she pets the younger omega’s hair. Akko basically melts into her touch. “Sucy and Lotte and I will take care of it so don’t worry too much, okay?” 

“Okay…” Akko whispers and lets herself be led to a cushioned seat. She looks up to the older omega and asks, “But what should I do if Diana does find out, Professor?”

Chariot sends a reassuring glance at her and picks up the bowl of seeds for her familiar. “Do nothing of it, Akko. Diana is a good alpha, you know that very well,” she answers as Alcor pecks the bowl. “She wouldn’t try anything to degrade you, not after what you two have gone through.”

Akko watches her mentor before looking down at her feet. She was right because Diana is a kind alpha and an especially kinder one that has helped Akko in many ways before. From small study sessions for exams until destroying a missile in space together. So why did she still feel uneasy around the heiress?

The brunette sighs. “I know…” Chariot saw the conflicting emotions in her student’s eyes and her instinct drove her to comfort the brunette.

“But it’s fair for you to worry as well, Akko,” Chariot says again. She remembers her time of hiding within Luna Nova, where she couldn’t trust anyone as much but Croix, Xena, and Trixie. She’s been in Akko’s shoes before and she won’t say anything half-assed. “It’s in our biology to worry for alphas. It’s the defense mechanism ingrained in our brain to avoid their fury.”

A flash of green, lust-filled eyes. A dimly lit room and the scent of an on-going rut. Chariot shuts these memories off and strokes Alcor’s back. The brunette watches her mentor sigh and say, “Heats are special for us omegas. Who we trust relies on whom we can let them see us in a state of vulnerability.”

Akko blinks when she finally gets the glance that the older witch sent her way. “I-I trust Diana. A lot. She’s responsible and kind, who doesn’t?”

“But you still feel uneasy, correct?” Akko gets taken aback then nods sadly. “Then it’s reasonable. She’s an alpha. You’re an omega. It’s our base instincts kicking in. Nonetheless,” Chariot looks over from Alcor to her. “Diana is a good alpha. And if you want to trust her, you can.”

Akko sees the professor’s kind smile and she smiles one of her own. “Right!”

“There’s the Akko I know,” Chariot sighs in relief when Akko smiled back. “Now, before you barged in here screaming on how Diana suddenly found your scent, I suppose you’ve already agreed to not perform for the Samhain Festival?”

The professor knew how much of a blow this was to the brunette’s heart but her health stays important over it. She sees Akko’s lips twitch in disdain.

“Is there any sort of way to change my heat’s schedule?”

“No.” Chariot was quick to reject. Even if there was, Akko’s body couldn’t take any more delay.

Akko sighs and looks outside towards the map of the Grand Triskelion that hung in front of Chariot’s desk. “I don’t have any other choice then. Argh!” Akko pouts deeply and slouches over the chair. “If it weren’t for my stupid heat, I would’ve been practicing for my new show. But I’m stuck spending my time in my nest instead.”

“That reminds me,” Chariot sets the empty bowl of seeds down and fully turns to the brunette. “Are you sure you want to spend your heat in Luna Nova? I know we can make your dorm scent-proof but it still makes you vulnerable for being in such proximity with alphas. Are you sure you don’t want to spend it in heat rooms?”

Easy question. “No,” Akko shakes her head and answers, “No, I’d rather spend it in my dorm, Professor.”

Chariot purses her lips, still wanting to try and change her student’s mind. “Are you sure? If it’s about the heat room smelling bad, we can always change it.”

While Luna Nova finally built their own heat rooms to accommodate their new omega students years ago, it was yet used by any of the known omega students. It provided all the requirements a heat room should have but the very implication of a student spending a day there provokes unwanted reactions from everyone else. Not to mention how sterile heat rooms smelled like; Akko would lose her shit the first 24 hours she’s there. So  _ no thank you _ . 

This is mind, Akko stands up and says, “No, Professor, I’d rather spend my heat in the dorm. I feel safer there. That’s it.”

The redhead frowns but relents. “Alright, Akko. If you say so.”

It was a few moments later when Lotte had come back to pick Akko up and accompany her back to the dorm and Chariot was alone then. She reads through the brunette’s diagnosis papers for the fourth time that day, especially on the dates that Xena had predicted the heat on. Taking her pen, Chariot goes over to her calendar, crosses out the day’s number and she counts down until the date where Akko’s heat is supposed to start.

She ponders over the remaining days and how to effectively use it. Professor Holbrooke has already given her a ‘go’ sign for Akko’s sick leave on the Samhain Festival so she didn’t have to think of a back-up plan before telling the staff then of Akko’s condition. In replacement of her would be Lotte and Sucy. It should be easy to convince them.

Akko’s encounter with the pack by Saturday, and the sudden explosion of it within the student body, peaked Chariot’s protectiveness for the younger omega. There would absolutely be no repeat of that, and the next pack that will corner Akko will have to answer to  _ her _ and her wand on their necks.

Then there’s the problem with Diana. Chariot’s eyes narrow. The alpha had noticed the brunette’s mood swings first. And from Akko's second-hand rambling, Diana also seemed to discern her scent as well. 

Xena’s words about alphas echoes in her mind and Chariot frowns. She knows what an omega’s heat can do to an alpha and Akko didn’t deserve to even  _ know _ the consequences. Diana is a good person, yes, but their inevitable biology would intervene that somehow. 

Chariot purses her lips and glares at the numbers on Akko’s diagnosis papers.  _ I won’t let her get hurt, _ she promises to herself.  _ From any alpha or pack. I won’t. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooooooooof!!!
> 
> i actually managed to get this out of my ass in time! god, procrastination actually does wonder to the soul of student trying to finish 4 homework at once. anyways, here's diana's pov, finally! next will also be a diana-centric fic! so watch out for that!
> 
> once again, I'm thanking Aevumace for beta-reading this chapter! thanks so much for taking ur time to read this bastard fic. :)


	7. Stereotypes

“--And these files over here should be brought over to the business committee over at east wing,” Professor Finellan puts the next stack of paper over the three others and Diana grimaces at the sight. “They should be able to fill up these forms for the materials needed before going out to the workshops and warehouses.”

“Yes, Professor Finellan,” Diana says. 

“Oh, and kindly tell Professor Hoggets as well to send in this month’s clinic report?” the older witch adds as she looks over the many, _many_ files on her desk.

“I will, Professor,” Diana picks the stacks of papers up, bids Finellan goodbye, and goes on to do her errands. 

It’s things like these that made the heiress ponder if the Cavendish name was worth upholding when _this_ is the kind of work you were going to get. Figuring it out it kinda is, Diana sighs and shifts the weight of the papers in her arms to accommodate her better. But as the schedule of the Samhain festival looms over Luna Nova’s student body, the rumor of the mysterious omega witch within them still strung high in their chatter. 

Diana was no different; if not, she seemed to be more curious about the omega than the average student was. Maybe that was what got her to be keen on her surroundings for any strange scent, but ever since her confrontation with Sucy yesterday, she found nothing yet. 

Hannah and Barbara were off to the other side of the castle to disperse other files for the teams so Diana was left alone to deal with the current papers sent to the beautification teams and the business committee. 

Diana gets welcomed into the room where Avery’s team and some other beautification members were discussing. Knowing they're barely starting yet, Diana gave out the forms. “I expect all of these to be filled out this afternoon, Avery.”

The violet-team alpha nods and says, “Yeah, I’ll remind the missing members about it.”

As the heiress was about to make her way to the door for her next errand, she overhears several alpha students in the corner of the room talking. Once again, Diana hears about the likes of a new omega in Luna Nova.

“Have you guys picked up on anything yet?” one student asks.

“No, so far the only omega I know is April. And I won’t mess with that one, otherwise, I’d get mauled by her mate.”

“Fair enough. Maybe we should ask the other omega. The one under our year.”

“The redhead with the shape of an onion? Girl, no!” the student laughs. “Do you want to get your intestines shifted? Don’t mess with that one. I heard her mates are her teammate twins.”

“Well geez then. But I am curious though,” the other student continues. “I wonder who’s the next omega dumb enough to get in here. Heh.”

Diana watches the group carefully before leaving, not hearing another word. Her senses were still alarmed for any sort of disturbances but her mind raced about the new story. What were the chances of the omega that she smelled back in Glastonbury being the same one as here in Luna Nova? It was high but the heiress didn’t want to jump to conclusions yet.

By Jennifer, she didn’t even know if that smell _was_ an omega, or what even _caused_ it. It could be anything else; maybe it was Sucy in Glastonbury trying to lure people in for God know why, or maybe some new perfume another alchemy witch was concocting, or maybe some other bullshit that decided to make Diana like this because fate was harsh. 

But deep down, she knew it was from an omega and an omega alone. The primal alpha inside her was affirmative of that.

The heiress tiredly rubs her temples as she delivers the rest of the papers to the business committee, the chatty betas already bringing up blueprints and charts to what might attract the visiting witches and talking more about entrepreneurship and materials rather than anything else. Yeah, Diana would rather help set her hair aflame than spending another hour with them. 

It didn’t help that Chloe, the other resident aristocratic alpha, was their chief. “Be sure to completely fill out these forms before classes end, Chloe,” Diana tells her.

“Of course,” Chloe gives half the files to a freshman witch who began to spread them out to the other witches. 

The members of the committee, while annoying know-it-alls, were responsible, and if they have the chance to, creative as well. But their decision boils down to the thoughts of the chief mostly, but should they play their cards right, it would pass. But it only takes so much to convince her.

As Diana looks over the students busying themselves in researching through the web for the right materials, one student says to her other members, “Should we open up a booth for omega witches too, by the way?”

Diana and Chloe turn to the girl immediately, eyes wide in shock and surprise. Gaelle, a beta with a promised future for Linguistics, pushes her glasses up and replies, “And why do you think that, Payton?”

The beta freshman shrugs, now hesitant, and says, “I just think we need to be more inclusive of our students. I mean, we have three omegas now right? Four if we include the one from the rumor. Wouldn’t it be nice if we’re more open-minded in the booths we set up?”

Students around the table hum in thought at that and Diana could smell the positive beta pheromones in the air. If she had a thought in this, she _would_ agree. After all, it has been several decades since Luna Nova started to accept omega students into the program, and Diana herself was curious if the omegas themselves would appreciate this action. _Maybe if this plan does get allowed, perhaps the omega herself would be able to come out..._

Diana's thoughts were cut off, however, when she notices the sudden spike of enraged pheromones. “Absolutely not!” Diana’s attention quickly snapped to her left and found Chloe's usually haughty scent turning bile with prickling anger. She sees Chloe’s face was contorted in a tight scowl, glaring at the surprised betas. “As chief officer of the business committee, I reject that proposal!”

The sudden burst of anger from the alpha surprised everyone. The students suddenly had their alarm as fourteen pairs of eyes stared at the blonde French girl, her scent almost making everyone else bow. Her glare was pressured by offended pride, dark pools staring straight at the beta who spoke last.

Payton’s open mouth quickly closes and she tries to defend herself. “B-But it could be good for the school! I mean, I know Luna Nova’s student body mostly composes of alphas but--”

“So you knew that little factor but you still insist on granting omegas a booth during the Samhain Festival, where our most esteemed alumni witches, who are _alphas_ , will likely visit,” Chloe strides over to the beta, who quickly steps, fear instilling her. The other betas scramble from the table as the alpha loomed over her. “Tell me, Miss Payton, are you trying to embarrass us? Us alpha witches of Luna Nova?”

The beta watches in fear as Chloe maintains eye-contact, her scent becoming the only thing she can smell. Pride, anger, and dominance; the striking scent of what a pure alpha was. Her lip quivers and she slowly shakes her head. “N-No…”

“Then why did you even suggest the idea in the first place?” Chloe asks, words steady with anger. “Betas and Alphas outnumber omegas in this school a hundred to one. Wasting them our materials will make us look indecisive and weak. So don’t try to pull up that idea again. Do you understand?”

As the room became tense, Chloe suddenly noticed another strong presence behind her, the scent of winter and magic quickly overtaking her own. Then there was a hand on her left shoulder and it quickly pulled her away from the student, making her face Diana’s tight frown and glare. Ice cold eyes gazed at her disappointment and anger. “That’s enough, Chloe.”

The beta students watch with bated breaths as the two alphas stared each other down, waiting to see and flee if the room was going to explode in a magical heist of dominance. Unexpectedly, Chloe only swatted Diana’s hand away, not baring her neck exactly, but it was a sign of resignation. That was enough for the heiress. 

“Fighting with other members of the committee is punishable by suspension. Resorting dominance to another dynamic member is another thing,” Diana explains once their attention was all on her. “If I hear more uncivil fights like these occur, I would have no choice but to consult Professor Finellan here.”

At the mention of the deputy headmistress, the students flinched. “Am I clear?” They nod. “Good. Go back to what you were doing.”

Students started to scramble around to go back to their places, this time being fully aware of the two alphas’ scents blossoming in the air, reminding them of their presence. Diana could basically feel Chloe’s gaze burn behind the back of her head. She knew an alpha of her status wouldn’t take orders but with how unethical her ways of rejecting the proposal, using her voice and scent as an alpha, Diana knew she needed to be corrected. 

But it wasn’t Diana who was the chief of the business committee. They didn’t ask what her thoughts were. The only opinion that did matter was Chloe's. Thus, she took this as a time to leave and left the business committee to deal with themselves for now.

When the door was closed behind her, _Chloe_ now behind her, Diana could finally breathe. Yeesh. While Amanda and Akko were a pain to deal with, Chloe, on the other hand, was another thing altogether. Being both aristocrats hailing from high family witches accounted for that, not to mention the unbridled resentment Chloe has for her. Diana didn’t know what she did to get the hate; she was just trying to be the better witch to suit her name.

The heiress sighs and she rubs her temples again. So many things were piling into her plate and it was barely Tuesday, dammit. What more when it’s the day of the festival? By then, her hair would look completely white. 

Nonetheless, as the stress of the preparation of the festival and the weight of her name was trying to get her, she knew she still needed to trudge on. It was what she did best and she always managed to destress in some way or another. Maybe in a simple book and tea, or maybe a small stroll around the gardens of Luna Nova, or… just maybe an hour with Akko.

At the thought of the girl, Diana frowns and stops to look outside the window. Other brunette students were lounging about in the courtyard, but none had that small bouncy ponytail that the heiress was fond of seeing. _She’s not there,_ Diana thinks before stepping back and continuing for the clinical ward. 

It was strange how much the brunette witch’s presence impacted her mood but it just did. And Diana had no qualms about opposing these feelings but if Akko wasn’t going to hang out with her anymore, she should change that. It wasn’t common for a Cavendish to be so dependent on another person, but for Diana, Akko’s presence was unlike any other. She was the burst of serotonin Diana never knew she needed, a person just full of positivity that she didn’t think could be born. And her energy and all the adventures that had them run across the school, the exhilaration, her smiles, how alive she made her felt…

Diana didn't realize she was smiling until she notices the weird look a student gave her. Quickly schooling her face into one of composure and elegance, she strode dutifully to the clinic, not minding the stares following her.

She turns left to the next hall and from there, she smells an alpha. Wait, no, _two_ alphas. And an _omega_.

But it wasn’t like the one Diana smelled yesterday or back in Glastonbury; it seemed subdued and calmer, with blooms of lupines instead of strawberry. Diana goes and glances over the direction of the scent and sees the pale-green team huddled down the hall, walking.

She blinks as she sees Sola between Rajani and Rashmi, their alpha scents covering her well, almost as if they were trying to mask it. Diana could tell by how strong the scent of marigolds clung to her, but if Diana could concentrate, she could still trace the omega’s feminine pheromones. 

_Feminine pheromones…_ Diana sniffs the air of marigolds and lupines, the fragrance oddly making sense. While it was different from the compelling scent of strawberries and sakura, it was still omega. Sweet and so undeniably feminine. Something inside her made the heiress want to chase it down, but with the alphas around them, she would be a fool to do so. And Diana Cavendish was no fool. That is... until some time yesterday...

When Diana exhales, a depressing realization occurs to her. _Maybe I really am a prude alpha that Amanda says I am_ , Diana thinks as she stares at the group in disdain, shaking off the thoughts of strawberries and sakura.

That she had been so sheltered from omegas by the alpha lifestyle she lived that she truly hadn’t known anything much of omegas. To the point where the scent she once found alluring all of the sudden became crucial for her to find out about. _Fine,_ Diana admits, gathering the courage to approach the omega between the two alphas. _If there’s anyone who should know what I just smelled from Glastonbury…_

Her steps become faster.

_Then it should be another omega._

Diana clears her throat once she is within a reasonable distance of the group. “Excuse me--”

“ _ARGHH!_ ” The twin to the left suddenly yells before twisting her heel and looking at Diana square in the eyes angrily. “ _For the last time!_ ” she snaps, her accent thick and exasperated. “You cannot fucking smell her! And we are not--” Rashmi pauses as she recognizes the pair of blue eyes she was staring into. “Doing…” Realization dawns on her as she whispers, “Threesomes…” 

Diana blinks, profoundly confused. “Um… okay?”

“D-Diana!” Sola yelps, Rajani quickly putting an arm in front of her as if she was protecting her from the heiress. 

“Um, forget that I said anything,” Rashmi steps back from the heiress, turning awkward from her angry outburst. “Forget it. Forget. About what I said. Okay?”

“I will,” She won’t. But that was something she’ll confront next time. “I’ll ignore that. I have something I want to ask about first…”

Sola blinks and Rajani rolls her eyes as she pulls her twin back. “Ughhh. If you’re going to ask about the omega thing, so help me, Cavendish--”

“I-I’m not!” Diana says but she begins to think. “Well, yes, that too, but it’s different. I just need to confirm something. And it’s something only a few people here in school would know about.”

The twin alphas cock a brow at the blonde’s statement. Sola blinks as she realizes that the blue team alpha was staring right at her. She raises a shaky finger at her face. “W-Wait, you mean… m-me?”

Diana nods. “Yes, you Sola.”

“No,” Rashmi steps in front of the blonde to block the omega from her view. “If it’s something so important then you can study it in the library. Sola will not be answering questions to any alpha.”

_What?_ Diana widens her eyes at that and tries to reason. “B-But it’s something that books just can’t answer. Especially books from here. And Sola Bjorkson is the closest one who could answer me.”

_That_ seemed to annoy them. Rajani quickly said, “Diana, we know you’re the bigger alpha here or whatnot, but leave Sola alone!” Her face falls into a hating grimace and says, “If you want answers about the rumor then we will answer it. And it is ‘no’. We were with her that Saturday and we know for a fact she did not get jumped by an alpha pack!”

Rashmi clicked her tongue, scent turning angry as the prospect of the omega getting ganged up. “If she had, they would have gone through _us_ first.”

The two alphas look down to glower at their shoes. Diana watches them, confused as to why they were suddenly angry; not at her but the mention of ‘packs’. The scent of hatred suddenly turned so strong and overwhelming that she couldn’t smell anything else. She’s never seen another alpha like this; at least, not seeing them so openly grimacing at the idea of an omega getting jumped by packs. Most alphas she knew hadn’t been so emotional over omegas before. Sexually, yes, but this scent… implied something else. 

Diana quickly realizes from this that she was on thin ice. But she still wants answers. Carefully, she says, “Please. It’s not about the rumor,” the twins' gaze shifts to her. “I don’t know anyone else who I can consult about this.”

There was a pregnant pause after that, tension rising as the three alphas stared at each other. Diana was hesitant to push anymore but then the scent of hatred was laced with sweet, calming pheromones. The alphas pause when the scent of lust and submission flew into their olfactory senses and Diana’s mind became numb. 

Rashmi and Rajani felt the omega’s hands clasp over their own, its warmth guiding them away from the thoughts of packs and hate. Sola gently rubs her thumbs over their knuckles and she steps in between them, making space as she continues to release soothing pheromones to calm the alphas. “Hey, hey, it’s okay guys,” she cooed, the twins’ eyes following her closely. “I’m right here with you, right? I’m fine. Diana’s not gonna do any harm, okay? I think we can trust her.”

Rashmi gapes at that. “B-But--”

“Alright,” Rajani relents, her younger twin quickly turning to her aghast. She turns to her sister with a sharp gaze. “If Sola wants to then she should. We aren’t going to stop that, Rashmi.”

Sola tugs on Rashmi’s hand when she still feels a bit apprehensive. The omega flashes the alpha a small smile and that was all it took. Rashmi’s shoulders slouch defeat and sighs, “Okay.”

Diana watches the whole exchange with wide eyes, looking at the team as if they've grown an extra limb. It suddenly felt like she was having an epiphany. _What the fuck just happened?_ A moment ago, they were hellbent on not letting Diana talk to her and one simple plea from the omega is all it took for them to relent? She couldn’t believe her eyes but as she looks closely, she could see the tinge of red occurring in the twins’ cheeks, eyes bearing nothing but adoration for the omega currently holding their hand. 

“So, Diana,” Sola’s attention suddenly turned to her. Diana flinches at that and the twins glare at her when the omega’s gaze wasn’t on them anymore. “What did you want to talk about? I-I’ll try to help if I can.”

“Of course,” the heiress nods assuringly. Before she could say a word, however, a laugh suddenly echoes down the hall and a group of seniors starts to pour out of a classroom. Diana purses her lips and tells the pale-green team, “Maybe not here. Come.”

Diana leads them to the clinical ward, quickly locking the door behind her and peering in to see if any patients were waiting behind the white curtains. Luckily Professor Hoggets was out to tend something else. When there was no one in the room but them, she went over to the second ward where the pale-green team was waiting, the twins standing on Sola’s side as she sat down on the bed. 

“So? What did you want to talk about, Diana?” Rajani loses no time asking. Rashmi crosses her arms and adds, “Make it snappy. You’re lucky we’re even allowing you to talk to Sola.”

“Guys,” Sola scolds. The twins stood upright, all rudeness gone. “Don’t be so impolite. Diana came to _us_. We should help her if she needs it.”

Diana watches the two alphas pout then they were quiet after that. The heiress brings a stool to sit on, carefully gauging their reaction. “Can we start now?” Sola nods. “Okay. Umm… I don’t know where to begin with… this. But all I know is that it can’t be understood completely.”

“Try… Try me,” Sola says with a hesitant smile. “I may not be as smart as you, Diana, but I’ll try.”

The words sent a pang of pain to Diana’s heart. She suddenly remembers those very odd words coming from a certain brunette and she felt ridiculous. But she’s gone this far and she hates to backtrack the team and waste their time. So she begins, “Alright. The reason I approached you is because…” Despite all the vocabulary Diana Cavendish holds, her mind didn’t know how to word it else. “You’re an omega.”

The twins squinted at her like she was dumb. “What, did you think she was faerie or something?” snaps Rashmi. Sola glares at her and she glances away.

“Anyways,” Diana chooses to ignore that comment. “Last Saturday, I smelled something…” Sweet? Captivating? Flat-out amazing? “... Odd. I can’t explain it. All I know is that it’s something I never smelled like before.”

Sola hums and frowns. “Umm, can you try explaining how you felt when you smelled it then? If you can’t explain it, can you share your thoughts when you smelled it?”

Diana blinks and tries to remember what she _did_ feel. It happened so fast she didn’t realize what she was doing. However, one thing remained the same: “I was attracted. I was so attracted to it.”

Her words came out breathless as she looked into nothing. The way the scent clung to her senses, asking her to come over, so alluring and enticing that it pulled on Diana’s gut and caused goosebumps to break out against her skin. The way she chased after it yesterday and becoming so disappointed when it was another one of Sucy’s odd concoctions. But it belonged to someone. And Diana Cavendish was keen on finding out who. 

Sola watches the blue team alpha closely, seeing her blue eyes flashing emotions of confliction, desire, and curiosity all at the same time. She waits for a moment before asking, “Do you remember how it smelled now?”

“Attractive. Sweet.” Diana says. 

That sealed it. Sola smiles and says, “Then it’s obvious; it was an omega you smelled, Diana. If you, an alpha, was attracted by sweet pheromones, then it’s very likely it belonged to an omega. No alpha could get pulled by a scent like that unless it's an omega,” She grimaces as she remembers a time on getting chased down by the twins via scent. “Trust me, I learned that the hard way.”

Diana sighs exasperatedly. “Of course it’s an omega. I _should_ know when it’s an omega or not. The thing was, the scent was so strong.” She closes her eyes and butterflies erupt in her stomach as the memory of the scent enclosed her. “No omega I’ve encountered ever had a scent like that. It was _so_ enticing.”

Sola carefully breaks down the heiress’s words as she watched how the alpha seemed to get lost just by thinking of the scent. _Enticing,_ Sola contemplates before she notices Diana’s scent. Realization dawns on her when she recognizes the emotion in the alpha’s pheromones. 

Sola felt her mouth go dry, her olfactory sense focusing the blue team alpha’s scent completely. “H-How enticing was it?”

“So enticing I…” Diana’s eyes narrow. “I wanted to chase it down and find out who it was.”

The blue team alpha’s scent turned thick with desire, lust, impossibly _dominant, and most of all, aroused._

“Oh,” Sola whispers as the answer becomes clear and she looks down in fear. “ _Oh._ ”

“‘Oh’ what?” After imagining the mysterious scent for a few more moments, she remembers that she had another team in front of her and turns to see the twins looking at her like they were disgusted. Her face flushes. “Um… Do you know about it?”

“Y-You don’t get it?” Sola asks, aghast. “Diana, that was--” she looks down again and shakes her head. “Oh that poor omega… Diana, that was probably an omega in _heat_.”

Diana blinks, dumbfounded by the smaller girl’s conclusion. “Heat?”

Now the twins really were disgusted. Rashmi cringed at her. “Jennifer, I thought aristocrats like _you_ were sheltered but…”

Rajani sighs as if she was disappointed at the same time and says, “Let it go, Rashmi, it’s alphas like these are never proper with omegas in the first place.”

Anger began bubbling inside Diana as they said that but she quickly held it in. Comments like these were common to her but it didn’t hurt any less. Sola’s smile dipped considerably but she still tries to explain, “Uh, Diana, h-heats are--”

The heiress flushes, embarrassment replacing her anger. “I-I know what heats are!” she quickly says. “It’s just that I haven’t, um… smelled an omega in heat before.”

“Well, now you know,” Sola remarks, laughing awkwardly. Her smile fades as quickly as it appeared when she looks down, however, and her eyes held empathetic sadness. The alphas watched her carefully as she looked as though she might cry, the sweet pheromones turning damp. “That poor omega…” she whispers, “She must have been so scared, so alone. Out there in the streets in a painful time. Being in the closet for so long, enduring this rumor… Honestly, it’s a miracle no other alpha has spotted her in Glastonbury yet.” 

At that, the alphas turned to each other, surprised.

Solar continues, “But even so…” Her hands bunched up the hem of her skirt. “Being in the closet. I understand her to need to be. Not everyone can come out like I am. Like the seniors. No omega is going to be brave enough. Not even me.”

Sola’s head bows, droplets of tear dripping down, and splotching the indigo skirt. The twins quickly stood around her, releasing calming pheromones to soothe the omega, Rajani sitting down and quickly enveloping her in her arms. “No, Sola,” she whispers against a temple. “You’re brave. Braver than any other person I know.”

Rashmi sits down and hugs the omega as well, rubbing her temple against her red hair. “Braver than this prudish aristocrat over here.”

The heiress’s mouth twitched in annoyance. Just when the tension was starting to drop. Diana has spent enough time with Amanda to know that Rashmi’s comment would be enough to warrant a snappy remark (she had a good one too) but not wanting to be off as politically shitty like she always tries to be, she ignores it. 

There was a pregnant pause as the alphas hugged the omega to calmer waters before Rajani spoke up. “Um, Diana,” The heiress looks up and sees the other twin looking at her with an unreadable expression. “I know I’m just guessing but what are the chances of the omega from the rumor being the same one you smelled at Glastonbury?” 

Diana’s eyes widen then looks down in contemplation. She was right. Diana didn’t know the exact details of the rumor but the way these events tie is accurate. When the heiress realizes this, she’s struck by a bolt of guilt. There she was, in the air, whilst being able to smell the omega, a _student_ of Luna Nova, a mile away but instead left her there while she was being jumped? By a pack?

Sola watches Diana grimace before turning to her teammates. Rajani continues, “It makes sense, right? An omega got jumped the other day for being in heat. You smelled an omega in heat on the same day.”

“It… It’s correct, theoretically,” Diana says weakly. Guilt strikes her heart again. “Maybe… it really was a fellow student.”

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her uniform and lifted her from her seat. Diana gasps when Rajani holds her collar up, her brown eyes glaring at her with all the anger in the world. “If you were there, why didn’t you try and help that omega!?” she screams. “You could have saved her but you didn’t!”

“Rajani!” Rashmi yelps in surprise. Her usually composed twin was now glaring daggers square in the heiress’s face. 

Diana widened her eyes as her throat got locked in place. “I-I--”  
  


“You white, scummy alphas…” Rajani snarls. “All of you are the same. You never bother to try and put yourselves in an omega’s shoes, hell, even just _learn_ what they smell like. You always think they’re lowly just because of their dynamic!” Her voice grew louder by each word as Diana tried to get her to let go. “Would it kill you to barely help a fellow witch just because they’re an _omega_!?”

“R-Rajani!” Sola quickly stands up and puts her arms against the alpha’s torso. “That’s enough! Let Diana go.”

Brown eyes flared with hatred, canines snarling, and scent turning thick with anger. And Diana had no excuse this time. She lets the other alpha glare at her for a bit, careful to ready her hand in case this needs to involve magic, but she knew the anger was valid. If the heiress heard this from another witch, she would get angry as well. 

For being such a sheltered alpha, Diana’s creepy obsession with the mysterious scent completely blinded her duties as both Luna Nova’s de facto alpha and witch. Instead of trying to help the fellow witch in need, she instead flew away to save her own skin in fear of getting caught losing her composure. 

_I’m such a shameless alpha,_ the heiress thinks as the scent of calming omega pheromones flew into her nose, and almost immediately, the tension in her body leaves, driving her mind into steadier waters. It was the same for the alpha twin, her grip eventually loosening until she swatted her hand away from the heiress’s shirt, the glare very much intact.

Sola glances at Diana from behind Rajani. “I-I’m sorry for that, Diana… It’s, it’s just that--” she blushes. “They’re very protective.”

“No, no, no,” Diana breathes as she smooths down her halter top, carefully picking out her words as an epiphany surges up in her mind. “I… I understand Rajani’s point. As Luna Nova’s perfectual student, I should have been more attentive to fellow schoolmates, and omegas in general,” She pulls her tie back in its place and closes her eyes in guilt and shame. “My status as alpha shouldn’t be a reason for me to not help people. And what I did… I deeply regret it.”

The pale-green team stares as the heiress genuinely looked ashamed; they didn’t expect to see the sight of the probably the most powerful witch in their batch to bear her heart out like this. 

The twins glanced at each other, wondering if what they said took it too far before Diana says, “Okay. I got my answers now,” She looks up to meet the team’s eyes. “Thank you for your insight, Sola. I greatly appreciate it. You can go.”

Sola smiles at that and says, “You’re welcome, Diana. I’m glad I could help you figure it out.”

Rajani glances at her twin, who gave an equally apprehensive look, wondering if the smile the omega is shooting to the blue team alpha meant something. After an awkward pause, Rashmi decides it was time. “Okay,” she says, quickly putting a hand on a spot on Sola’s back. “At least one of you aristocratic alphas apologized for something.”

Diana follows them out, finally smiling a bit when the last anger of their scents dissipated. “It has to start somewhere, yes?”

Rajani purses her lips at that and says, “I apologize too, for suddenly grabbing you like that.”

The heiress remains quiet and walks over behind the counter of the ward, pulling out the drawer to search for the files Professor Hoggets may have left about this week’s report. After a bit of shuffling, she says, “It was fine. Your take on omegas…” She shakes her head. “Was correct.”

The team eyes each other then glances back at the alpha who was reading through some papers. Rashmi mouthed to her sister ‘we should go’ and were about to pull the omega out with them before Sola calls out, “Diana!” The heiress looks up. “If you ever meet this omega… try and comfort her, okay? It would mean a lot for us.”

Diana stares at the omega, watching her face fall into one of sympathy. She sniffs out her scent and she could smell the hope in it, the trust in her eyes. From this, the heiress sits straighter and nods. “I will.”

The twins glare at her one last time before opening the door. “You better, Cavendish,” Rashmi tells her then the team strolls out without another word. Their footsteps echo outside and once Diana was sure they were out of her vicinity, she slams her head into the table, appreciating the pain that numbed her emotions for a bit.

***

While Akko appreciated her bed in many ways, she would never get cooped up in there for too long. It made her muscles stiff and it got her sluggish for so long so she always appreciated a good walk or two for the day. Sunlight against her skin. Hearing the birds sing from the boughs above. The satisfying crunch of leaves under the soles of her feet.

The brunette smiled and was about to go and stomp some more dead leaves before-- “ _ACK_!” she choked as pressure pulled against her neck, making her reel back.

“Don’t stray too far, Akko!” Lotte tells her as she pulls on the handle of the leash.

“Ugh!” groaned the brunette, stomping in anger. “Is this collar really _necessary_? I just wanted to get out of the room for a bit!”

“Um, after your encounter with the pack and Diana on your tail?” Sucy snarls, her rancid alpha pheromones making Akko bow her head. “Like hell. Besides, that collar covers your scent gland well. It’ll keep your scent away even without us using magic.”

Akko grapples on the collar for a bit, pouting. “ _Mou_! Why did Professor Chariot even have this stupid thing in the first place?”

Lotte agrees, nodding. “I’ve wondered that too. But it _is_ convenient.” 

From that, Lotte pulls the leash again and Akko almost fell. “Ugh! Fine, I’ll come over there, just stop pulling on the leash, you’re going to kill me.”

“Sorry,” the beta whispers apologetically. The red team continued out on their walk, with Akko leading the way and smelling the cold autumn breeze. She could smell pumpkins somewhere in the distance and Akko smiles dreamily of pumpkin spice lattes. 

Maybe after their work in the kitchen with the faeries, she, Lotte, and Sucy would go out for a small drink. Maybe even invite the green team out and have a blast in the streets of Glastonbury to celebrate the end of Harvest season. As the omega continued having these daydreams, some sadistic things in the back of her mind burst her bubble. 

She opened her eyes and appreciated how orange the leaves of Luna Nova’s garden became, wondering if Akko could still make herself up for disappearing for a while. Maybe she will, maybe not; her ties with the green and blue team were starting to strain, and it would be a while before they’re tempted to hang out with her again. But the omega was adamant; they’ve been through some ridiculous shit. Surely this heat of hers could be written off as something minor, right? It will. Akko would be sure of that.

Her thoughts, however, were cut-off completely when she recognized something, _smelled_ something. 

Akko stops when she recognizes the scent of alphas in the vicinity. Sucy and Lotte look at her, wondering why she paused all of the sudden. “Akko?” the beta calls out.

The brunette sniffs the air as her nose picks up on their scent, and to her horror, it was laced with cinnamon and apples, the scent of an alpha Akko wishes she never picked up. It was clear it wasn’t Chloe but it was obvious that the alphas on the other side of that corner had been with her.

“--And then she told Payton to fuck off. Can you believe that?” A voice of an alpha student says.

“No way, girl, Chloe’s a person with a stick up her ass.” The other alpha whispers. 

When Sucy hears this, she quickly goes over to Akko’s side, bumping shoulders with the omega and releasing her own pheromones, not enough for the other alphas in the vicinity to be alarmed, but enough for the omega to be covered.

The first alpha chuckles. “Darlene, you know how aristocratic alpha acts. Payton suggested setting up an _omega_ booth for the festival.” Akko’s head perks up. “And Chloe walked up straight at her and _glowered_. I swear, her pheromones were so strong it’s on me until now!”

“No kidding,” the second alpha cringes as steps away from her friend. “Get a fucking shower already, you reek.”

“Hey, not so loud!”

The red team walks away from the duo slowly, quietly as to not bring attention to the omega currently walking like a robot. _An omega booth,_ Akko thinks, wondering how that would play out in Luna Nova. It would of course fit in like any booths in a festival; suppressant pills, hormone shots, and a space for omegas to hang around. But of course, since the omega population here in Luna Nova could be counted by literally one hand, what good could it be? 

Not to mention the very implication of it; Luna Nova was still an alpha-pro school. The school would look dumb. Akko sighs, wondering how time and time again she gets reminded by that very factor. It was a warning and signal that constantly signed her to stay far away. At the thought, the simple daydreams of hanging out with her friends in peace were shattered. 

When there was nobody else in the garden, Akko sat down on the nearest bench and finally breathed. She slouched down as Sucy glowers at nothing. Maybe at the alpha duo or a mushroom she spotted, whatever, that alpha has been glaring at something ever since she told Akko of Diana recognizing her scent. The brunette frowns. _Diana..._

“Are you doing okay, Akko?” Lotte asks. “We can go back inside if you want.”

“A-Ah, no I’m fine, Lotte, I wanna stay out here for a little longer,” Akko replies quickly, not wanting the beta to worry. 

She didn’t take it. Lotte’s frown becomes deeper and tells her, “Akko, something’s bothering you. I’ve been around you long enough to tell that much,” She sits down beside the omega and takes her hand, rubbing her scent into her wrist. “We want to help you, Akko.” The beta looks up to the brunette’s gaze. “So please, tell us what’s wrong.”

Kind, teal eyes stare into maroon ones, speculating each other’s emotion. Akko carefully watches the beta if she really was serious, but with how her scent had come out so sincerely, the brunette looks down, relenting. “I’m so tired, Lotte.”

“What?” Sucy turns to her, eye twitching. “If you’re tired then we can go back--”

“Not that!” Akko tells her, glaring at the alpha from the corner of her eye. Sucy shuts up. “I meant that I’m tired of _this_ ! This whole alpha thing in Luna Nova!” Akko’s hands bunch up her skirts, the injuries in the left one still stinging. “First I can’t go out much the way I used to; now I’m forced to take other medicine to prepare my heat, then this collar--” The omega grips the bright red band around her neck, face going tight and hot. “Just so I can’t reveal my real dynamic!” She looks up to Lotte’s sympathetic eyes. “I can’t keep going on like this. It’s so. Fucking. _Tiring_.”

Lotte watches the brunette paw on her collar for a bit, not knowing what to even answer that. She knows the need for her to be like this. She knows the problem an omega has to be in such a predominant alpha environment. She knows she knows, she knows. And as a beta, no, as a _friend_ , she must bring comfort. “Akko,” she starts, tightening her hold on the omega’s hand. “I understand it’s tiring. But you have to, okay? Unless…” Lotte gulps. “Unless you’re ready for other people to find out about this.”

A pause. Then a sigh. The brunette visibly deflates, almost slouching down. Lotte had a point; when was she going to be ready to let people know about her? It was a sick gamble on her safety if she owns up to the rumor; worst-case scenario, she would be forced to leave for creating chaos in the school unprompted, and at the peak of the celebration of Samhain. What would her friends think? What would the professors think? What would _Diana_ think?

The effort of the past year, the struggles of keeping it inside the past weeks would all go down the drain if she dares get caught lazing about her safety. Her encounter with the pack was proof of that; she was still too weak to do anything on her own, and still too stubborn to do mildly anything to keep a plan. Akko was an emotional omega, so much that the threats would pile in her heart and keep it there. But as the pressure surged on, as her body continued to grapple with the stress from her environment, the omega's heart was starting to break into her threshold of patience and demanded to be free. 

Right now, it was about to as well. But even with all that, she knew she had to keep up. Akko purses her lips and they let her steep in her spot for a few more moments before she tells her team, “We should go back now.”

Her teammates agree and the trio walks back towards their dorm at a measured pace, careful to not let other students see them. When they were about to turn into a staircase, however, another scent of an alpha got caught in her nose. Chipped wood and musky summer air, like a summer’s day spent strolling through a meadow.

Akko was about to tell her teammates but Sucy recognized it faster. “It’s Amanda.”

On cue, the green team alpha actually appeared around the corner, footsteps light, broom in hand, most likely having just got out of flight around the castle. When she was whistling a tune, Amanda peeked her eyes open and found the red team on the other end of the hallway. She breaks out into a grin. “Oh! It’s Akko!” 

“Amanda!” Akko yelps when she starts jogging to them, quickly becoming apprehensive. The last time Amanda got this near, it almost got her found out. Fortunately, the collar was secure around her scent gland and her teammates had scented her to make it stick for a while, so the chances of the alpha smelling her, as good of an olfactory sense she may have, was slim. “Were you just leaving for a flight?”

“More like I’m finished,” Amanda grins when she was close enough. “But I’ve been looking for you in case you wanna hang out. Sucy and Lotte can come too! I can go for another lap around the castle.”

Fuck, that was tempting. But her last flight almost made her die so… “I think I’ll pass, Amanda.”

The green team alpha cocks a brow at her. “You sure?” Akko nods surely and she shrugs. “Okay. What’s up with the collar though?”

“Professor Chariot gave us this,” Lotte quickly answers and laughs awkwardly. “You know how Akko gets, haha, so…”

“Gods, that’s true! Looks like Professor Chariot finally got her work cut out for you, huh?” The alpha guffaws and follows the team up to the stairs. When Amanda tries to get closer to the omega, Sucy immediately goes in between them, sending the alpha a glare. Amanda cocks a brow at her then before asking, “So, do you guys have any updates?”

Akko glances at her. “Updates on what?”

“Aw, y’know Akko,” Amanda grins slyly at her and the brunette’s eyes widen at her next words. “About the omega.”

Lotte and Sucy glance at her, watching the green team alpha’s every move. Akko’s voice comes out a bit shakier than it should. “Ohh… right. No, I haven’t heard anything yet. I don’t really care about those things, y’know?”

“What? Really?” Amanda chortles at her then continues, “But it’s so interesting though. I gotta meet up the pack that saw her so I can pinpoint who she is. If a pack of alphas got interested, surely the omega herself was a beauty...”

_What_? Akko widens her eyes and stops cold on the spot. 

Sucy and Lotte watch the sly grin grow on the alpha’s face, her scent turning into something thicker and provocative. The two shift into protective stances, ready to knock the alpha down to the floor. When Akko paused on the floor of the dorms, they stayed still by her side, still some feet away from the green team alpha.

“Hm?” Amanda looks back to the team when they froze. “What’s up?”

It took a while before Akko finally found her voice, fist clenching and unclenching. “Is… Is that all you care about?”

Amanda turns on her heel to properly look into the brunette’s eyes. They were wide in disbelief. “Whaddya’ mean?”

The pupils in the brunette’s eyes dilate. She steps forward, the sun’s rays hitting her eyes and turning them into the shade of crimson. “An omega just got jumped by an alpha pack, Amanda!” she yells, startling the taller witch. “She almost got ra-- rap--” Not bearing to let herself say it, Akko grits her teeth and briefly looks down. “An omega, a _student_ here in Luna Nova, almost got into a _really_ bad situation and all you could think about is if she’s pretty or not!?”

Amanda steps back when Akko looks at her square in the face again, the questions hitting her like a stray ball. “W-Well, it takes a lot of stuff for an alpha to get interested, you know?” Amanda says. “C’mon, Akko, you know I don’t mean much by that. I mean, omegas are so soft and sweet. If that omega in the rumor is true then...”

Akko watches the alpha’s green eyes ignite in arousal and she smells the way her pheromones became lustful. She couldn’t believe her eyes, the pit in her stomach telling her to step back. The stress started to coil again and threatened to snap against her threshold at the sight. She felt sick, sick, sick, sick, so _fucking_ _sick…_

“Unbelievable,” Akko whispers before snapping again, “Don’t you realize what could’ve gone down!?”

Amanda glares from the brunette’s shout, annoyed by all this questioning. Just when she thought they were getting along fine, comes whatever _this_ thing is. She certainly hadn't expected a lecture from _Akko_ of all people. “It’s just an omega, Akko. An alpha has chemistry with omega, simple as that,” Akko clenches her fist. Amanda notices this and asks, “Why are you so concerned, anyway? You’re just a beta!”

_Beta, beta, beta!_ “I’m--” Like those were the secret words, Akko’s resolve was forgotten, anger boiling in her skin as something stung in her eyes. The coiling stress inside her snapped and the threshold to her patience _opened_. “ _That’s because I’m--! I’m--!_ ”

Then the anger receded. Replacing it was a sudden sharp stroke from under her head and her line of sight became blurry. She tries to step forward but it suddenly felt like somebody had pulled the rug out from beneath her. 

Dizzy. 

She was getting so dizzy.

“ _Akko!?_ ” she hears a faint cry of her name, but who? Lotte? Sucy? _Amanda_?

She didn’t know because all at once, her balance loses and her sight became dark, briefly registering that she’s falling into someone’s arms before she fully faints. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In the end, I managed to bust this out of my ass in time! AAAHHHHH! Oh my God, this is way too long than it should be but at least it's *there* and now I gotta go write *more*. This chapter hopefully came up well, right? I managed to put in Sola and the Indian Twins here, wheeee! TBH, they need more screen-time and fanfics included because they look so cute together. And pardon for making the jokes politically shitty, but as the theme of this fic is pretty political, I said 'fuck it' and joined in colors as well, because Diana's white sheltered aristocratic ass needs to see the light. 
> 
> Criticism is widely appreciated! Let me know in the comments what you think! :)


	8. Reassurance

It was nighttime already when Akko came to. The first thing that greeted her was the comforting scents ingrained in her nest. She instinctively searched for Chariot’s scent, grabbing the jacket and pulling it up to her nose, inhaling it first before she shuffled in her sheets.

“Ah, Professor!” she hears Lotte’s voice say somewhere to her right. “She's awake!”

Akko briefly opened her eyes and saw the flash of red hair from the corner of her vision. Groaning for a bit, she sits up and blinks blearily at the two figures in front of her nest. “Oh thank Jennifer,” Akko hears Professor Chariot’s voice whisper. Finally, her vision sharpens. 

Once Akko regained her bearings, Lotte quickly gave a short rundown of what happened; she got a dizzy spell, almost face-planted on the floor if not for Sucy catching her, and then quickly brought her back to the dorm whilst notifying Chariot. “The dizzy spell was just another one of the suppressant’s side effects,” Lotte says matter-of-factly. 

“The cut-down of suppressants surprised your body.” Chariot pushes the glasses up to her face. “It was fortunate that Amanda didn’t think it was something else. But enough about that,” The Frenchwoman approached to the side of Akko’s bed and brought a hand up to pat her head, gently caressing her hair. She flashes her a gentle albeit worried smile. “How do you feel now?”

The small strokes on her head brought comfort to Akko and she sunk in her nest. She flashes the woman the brightest of smiles. “I’m doing great, Professor Chariot. Thank you!”

Chariot’s heart melted at the sight; the running from the professor’s lounge to here was worth the trouble if it meant seeing her student without a scratch. “Lotte, you and Sucy should go and eat in the cafeteria now,” she tells the beta. “Akko and I have… something to discuss.”

_ What? _ Akko’s eyes bugged out of their sockets staring at Chariot, dread making its way around her head as she realized it’s going to be another one of their  _ talks _ . 

Lotte blinks at the glance the older omega was giving her then takes the message. “Alright, Professor. Akko, we’ll be back with your food, ‘kay?” The beta flashes the brunette a coy smile before disappearing behind the door, and she was alone with the professor then. 

Well shit. The brunette’s mouth twitched as she stared at the door, hyper-aware of her mentor taking a seat and sitting properly beside her bedside. Knowing there was no way out of this, she turns to Chariot, who was looking at her with an unreadable expression. “... Did I do something wrong?”

Chariot purses her lips at the sight of her student looking apprehensive. But if her teammates were telling the truth earlier… “No, Akko, you actually didn’t. If not for the dizzy spell. I want to hear it from you and you alone,” The brunette tenses up as Chariot looked at her square in the eye. “Did you actually try and tell Amanda your dynamic?”

Akko’s eyes widen in surprise and she remembers that she… did. 

**_“I’m--” Like those were the secret words, Akko’s resolve was forgotten, anger boiling in her skin as something stung in her eyes. The coiling stress inside her snapped and the threshold to her patience opened. “That’s because I’m--! I’m--!”_ **

The brunette puts her hands in her temples and sighs deeply. The regret and weight of the suppose-admittance finally came to her and dropped sacks of bricks right on the head. “Yeah…” she admits. “Yeah, I did.”

Chariot’s breath hitches in her throat, watching in disbelief. “Why?”

"I-I just snapped," Akko replies, pulling her head up to see Chariot's concerned look. "I didn’t mean to, I swear! It’s just that…” She purses her lips, finally feeling the weight of the event before. She imagines just yelling the answer out, just to prove Amanda was wrong, and suddenly alphas across the school would come jumping right at her. Sighing, Akko wipes her fringe away and asks, “Professor, why are alphas such  _ jerks _ ?”

The redhead blinks and her gaze softens, realizing what worked the brunette up. “Did Amanda say something to upset you?”

Hesitantly, Akko nods. “She… She said she wanted to meet the pack who jumped the omega from the rumor. So she could find out who she is…” Her sweet omega scent turned damp with frustration and sadness, her hands gripping the soft sheets. “She didn’t care, Professor, if a fellow student got jumped. She cared a lot more if the omega was pretty! Can you believe that?”

_ Amanda’s nature fits like that, _ Chariot thought but her student would be disappointed at her for wording that out. The alpha wasn’t out of line either, since she didn’t know of the omega’s true identity. “Akko,” Sliding their hands together, Chariot tilted the brunette’s face up to see her eyes. “When it’s things like these, we just have to stay calm. I know it’s… harsh,” The image of an alpha’s face comes into mind and Chariot swallows her cringing. “But we must not act so brashly.”

Akko stares at her mentor’s eyes, aghast. Acting brashly? It’s not about that! “Not if I can help it, Professor!” she exclaims. “She basically said she sided with the pack! Wha-- I mean, what was I supposed to do? Take it like it’s nothing!?”

The anger was fair, but Chariot had to guide her student to calmer thoughts. “She didn’t know it was you, Akko.”

“Well, what if she had!?” The brunette yells, tears stinging in her eyes, and Chariot felt her heart crack. “She would have probably sided with those horrible crooks, anyways!” She looks down and grimaces. “I can’t keep on hiding like this, especially when all these alphas are…” She sobs. “Are so  _ awful _ .”

Chariot’s face pinches into a grimace as her student sobs again, and she lets her, not knowing what to say. What good would telling Amanda of her real dynamic was? It would be social suicide. Akko wouldn’t have peace with her safety and virtue as an omega, and her teammates would have their work cut out for them trying to keep her away from the alphas staking a claim, and The Nines know Akko wouldn’t let anyone claim her until she says so. 

But the pressure pounding in on the brunette was starting to take a toll on her health. The dizzy spells, her lack of appetite, her heat… At this point, she could really die from either heat strokes or hypertension. And Chariot was determined to let her student go through this peacefully. 

When Akko finally quieted down, the redhead reached a decision. She swallows and pets Akko’s head again. “Akko,” The brunette looks up from her mattress and catches the resolute spark in her mentor’s eyes. “You can tell your friends that you’re an omega. But only after your heat is done.” Her jaw drops. “I’ll help you fend away the alphas. It’s your call. For now, we should let the Samhain Festival pass by.”

Akko blinks. She completely forgot, the Samhain Festival… 

A bolt of wit struck her.  _ That’s it!  _ Her face lights up in ecstasy as a fantastic idea comes up to the front of her mind.  _ “Professor, that’s it!” _ she yells, startling the older witch when she turns to her with stars in her eyes.

“T-That’s what?”

“ _ The Samhain Festival! _ ” Akko leaps out of her nest and twirls in delight. “Jennifer, that’s  _ it _ ! I could perform in the Samhain Festival for the Moonlit Witch right!? If I perform an awesome show there and win the title, then I’ll show them! I’ll show them what an omega could truly do!” She turns back to her Professor who turned pale. “If I perform a show and win that title, and admit I’m the omega in the rumors, then the backlash wouldn’t be as heavy, right?!”

Laughter starts to fill the red team dorm, the brunette rapidly jumping up and down as the image of her pulling out a show with the alumni judges’ jaws down to the floor and then having it dip back down when she says she’s an omega. The thought alone was exhilarating and she could already hear their surprised yells;  _ an omega performed that high-level magic!? _

Akko grins widely and grabs her wand from her desk. “I better start practicing now--”

However, as she passed by the professor, the back of her shirt was pulled back and she reels away from the pathway to the door. “No!” Chariot frantically said. “Akko, no! You can’t practice magic right now.”

The brunette pouted at her and was about to ask the redhead why before Dr. Xena’s face flashes in her mind. 

_ “Magic can trigger any primal parts of a person. Omegas, on the other hand, cannot take magic without straining themselves, especially near heat.” _

Akko slumped a bit but still faces her mentor determinedly. “But I have to! How else can I perform a great show for a big audience?”

Chariot’s face pinches into a scowl and snaps, “Akko, you know what happens when you exert yourself, especially when you’re a week away from your heat!” She pulls the brunette by her shoulders and told her, “Your idea is fine but it risks your health very deeply. Please, Akko. You can’t do this. Reconsider.”

Akko’s face fell as the teacher pleaded with her. “B-But… this is my only chance to prove to them what omega witches can do, Professor…”

“I know. It would’ve been the perfect plan but the circumstances are different, Akko. You’re in near heat. The audience is likely to be chock-full of alphas. I…” The grip on her shoulders tightens and Akko winces from it. She looked into her mentor’s eyes and saw them shining in conviction. “I just can’t risk you in this, Akko. So please.” The hands fall to hers. “Reconsider.”

  
  


***

  
  


_ Like hell. _

_ Like hell. Like hell, like hell, like hell! _

Akko tosses herself in her nest but guilt holds vice over her heart. She couldn’t deny anything from Chariot, and likely never will, but what will she do while omegas like herself are still tormented by disgusting oppression from alphas!? What about Sola? The two omega seniors in the grade above her? Professor Chariot herself!?

Her sheets bunched up to her neck, providing little to convince her restless body to sleep. Moonlight filtered through the window curtains. It’s midnight.

Like hell will she reconsider this.

If there was ever a perfect opportunity to convince these bastard alpha witches about omega witches, it was a good time as ever. Like hell will she turn away.

The Samhain Event was dangling in front of her in provocation to her urges to clap back against what Amanda, Chloe, what fucking  _ Chariot _ said. She won’t sit by and let this continue, just letting every word from others cling to her mind like rusting razors.

No, in heat or not, this  _ was _ the time to act brashly. She was resolute on her passion and she won’t let old political minds of assholes ruin it.

_ I won’t! I absolutely won’t! _

Akko gets up from her bed, quietly picking up her wand. She whispers a scent-blocking spell, rubbing a bit more of her perfume to her wrist and neck, before picking up her red collar and tying it across her neck to cover the scent glands. She tries to gulp down her fear but the collar tightening around her throat was making it hard. Sucy and Lotte were dead to the world.

To hell with her health. She  _ will _ show up for those old-minded alpha witches and show them. Fuck winning the title. All she needs to do is to  _ show _ .

_ I’ll show them. _

Akko quietly drapes her cloak across her shoulder, opens the door, and steps out.

_ I’ll show them what omegas can really do! _

Careful not to be too conspicuous (as conspicuous as you can get by running in Luna Nova’s halls with a cloak), Akko ran to the backside of the castle, heading north, far away from anybody finding her. 

The clearing was a little far away from the newest building but not yet halfway to the north building. When the brunette arrived, the entire area was dead. So she was safe; for now. Nobody tagged her. At least, not to her knowledge.

Akko takes off her hood and looks over to the clear dark skies hanging over her head. Fireflies flew around the clearing, giving her a bit of light and she breathed under the new sky. It was perfect.

She grins and takes out her wand. While she didn’t bring a book or any references, her heart was still her magic. So with both hands, she brings her wand to her front and contemplates what spells to use.

While she had mastery over metamorphosis magic, she knew using it would strain her already pained body. And anything stronger would surely trigger an abnormal heat. So for now, she should take something easy, yet something she could tweak around to fit for a show.

Akko grins when she remembers the elemental spells. Flame, Earth, Air, and Water. They were by no means easy spells but they didn’t take up as much as metamorphosis. If she could trap the energy of these spells and manifest it using Paleis Capama, with a bit of spark here and there, it’ll lead to something. 

This image in mind, the brunette shakily grins, pulling on her collar a bit to keep her scent glands covered. “Alright…” she whispers and flicks her wand open. The easiest of the elements was fire, so with this, she wills a green light to the tip of her wand, a spark of ember occurring. 

Then with a flick of her wrist and a yell, a searing flamethrower billows out.

  
  


***

  
  


She wants to sleep. 

By the Nines, Diana wanted to sleep so  _ badly _ yet the pressure of her schedule wouldn’t relent. She wonders how on earth she got this god-forsaken position as night patrol on top of everything but knowing it’s her duty as de facto alpha, she can’t return to her bed just yet.

Honestly, with everything else on her plate, a patrol across the school was one of the last things she needed. Especially since the whole day she basically ran around to fetch papers for the deputy headmistress and glowered at the students to get back to work. Diana reaches up to touch her aching forehead, feeling around the red bump from slamming it repeatedly on a countertop in the medical ward. Right; another thing was her entire conversation with a resident omega and just realizing how sheltered of an alpha she was.

She grips her broom, the wood digging into her palms and the pain got her eyes wide. By the Nines, she better not see anyone running around.  _ Who would? Especially during this ungodly hour? _

A certain brunette, most probably. At the thought of the girl, a new yet old weight has again been added onto her shoulders and Diana frowns. The avoidance was getting ridiculous. The heiress was busy, yes, but that doesn’t excuse it for not yet talking to the brunette. And yet, she hated to inconvenience her.

Whatever Akko probably had going on was affecting her. Maybe it was something back in her hometown in Japan? 

Then it struck Diana again, the same bolt of guilt from earlier. For claiming she was Akko’s friend, she’s yet to know  _ anything _ about the girl; not her history, not about her hometown or parents, not even her  _ scent _ . 

Diana felt like a disgrace, as a friend, as an alpha, as  _ everything _ . 

For all the shit Akko has gone through, Diana yet to know all of it. Not even how she entered Luna Nova; did she influence the staff with money? Maybe her grades? Perhaps Akko really was an academic ace and only failed the first year for not knowing the basics of magic. Then there was her scent; by the Nines, that’s what the heiress truly felt dull at. She’s ridden a broom with her before yet she couldn’t place it  _ anywhere _ . And despite promising herself that she will, she hasn’t even started at it.

Stopping by Luna Nova’s veranda of the north building, the heiress leans over the railings and sighed. Her frown deepens and she stops by to look at the stars above the castle’s sky, seeking for the Ursa Major. It shone brightly across the northern horizon, the pattern very much reminding her of the staff that once belonged to her childhood idol and a klutz of a brunette.

Diana sighs, appreciating how the wind billowed around her, the whistle against her ears calming her. 

Then came the scent of smoke. Diana’s attention swerved lower as a gust blew into the castle. Not pungent enough to warrant distress but the heiress knew this wasn’t normal. When the harsh scent was gone, she sniffed the air and noticed the hint of magic it carried.

The alpha stood straighter. Someone was out in the woods. Out in this hour? There could be only one person…

Diana mounts her broom and follows the scent of the smoke, desperate to find where it was. While she was doing this out of duty, she was mostly concerned about why the brunette was outside her dorm during this hour again, somewhere so far away.

  
  


***

  
  


The bubble enclosing the swirl of fire exploded. Again. And so did the other four spheres. None of which looked graceful in doing so.

Akko huffs as a gust of wind blows across her body, causing the cold sweat to drip down her temple. She wipes it away and looks down at her hand, surprised to see how much she perspired in such a short time. “I’ve only been practicing for barely fifteen minutes!” 

But as it should be. She was practicing spells on her own so was it any surprise? Akko ignores her short breath and wipes the sweat into the fabric of her cloak. 

She tried to steady her laboring breath but it was getting colder with the winds. Oh dammit. Whatever, she worked worse. This was easy. She just needs to summon a big enough bubble to sustain an elemental spell first then she’s done. That’ll be the spell to perfect for tonight.

Tomorrow would be the big boys.

Akko grins at the thought and lifts her wand.

She’ll try and try again until she’ll perfect this. She has to, otherwise, she’ll be too slow to make any progress.

Akko’s face shone resolutely under the stars and moon and a green glow of magic summons at the tip of her wand. It was no use with fire. She could feel its heat effectively affecting her. So she opts for the next element; air. She raises her wand again. “ _ Ripi A _ \--”

When she was about to yell the spell, however, an electric pain struck her bandaged hand, and she yelps in pain, losing the grip of her wand and letting it fall to the ground. From the impact, the collecting gust went loose and blew in different directions, including right into Akko’s face. 

“Ah!” she yelps at the explosion of gust, ducking down to not let any dust or leaves attack her face. When the gust dwindled, Akko looks at her wand again, her breath leaving in light shallow puffs. 

It was fine now. Maybe. So she tries picking it up.

And her hand starts shaking.

Another shock of pain comes through her right hand, the one where she bit into the other day, and she cringes in pain before letting the wand go. 

Harsh stinging pricked behind her eyes and Akko felt tears pool. Why? Why why why?

She couldn’t even hold her wand properly now. Was it really fruitless? Did she get out here all for nothing? Maybe. Probably. It’s barely been half an hour since she left the dorm but no one’s found her yet. 

She looks around and finds no other sight of another person. Good. Let it stay that way, at least until she gets  _ this fucking spell right. _

In. Out. In. Out. Akko’s breaths came out deep and even for a few moments before she took her left hand to pick up her wand. It felt awkward and heavy, not used to having her wand on her left hand but she still needs to practice.

Slowly, she pulls herself to stand, knees feeling more like jelly than joints that withstood many falls. God fucking dammit. If she wants to get the basics of her performance down, she needs to be in her best body.

But no, this was her  _ omega _ body preparing for heat, not the Akko body that can stand a fall from the Moon Tower’s highest floor. A body suited to roll around a nest and just lay there with a nightmare of a fever. Maybe moan for some physical intimacy or some other shit that wasn’t  _ her _ and goddammit, why was she like this!?

Atsuko “Akko” Kagari wasn’t a person so easily swayed by inconveniences like these. It took more than a failed spell, because fuck, she failed so many fucking spells before, why was this any different!? She’s overcome everything else that was thrown at her, and she’d be damned if she can’t fucking get a gust of wind trapped inside a bubble right. 

Wait, no she can’t get anything done by letting her blood boil.  _ Breathe, Akko _ , she thinks to herself. In… Out… In… Out… As her breath evens, she starts to forget about her previous grievances, allowing a chance to recollect herself. 

Now her nerves were still. Akko sighs as the tension begins to leave her body. Good thing that inner pep talk monologues helped. Now all she needs to do is to--

“What are you doing here, Akko?”

_ Oh great. Fuck. _

“DIANA!!?” Akko’s voice reached another pitch high enough to break the glass as she turned around to see the heiress several yards behind her. Broom in hand, face schooled into concern and strictness; Night Patrol Diana was indeed here in the flesh, ready to ruin the fun.

Well, this night was going to be ten times worse. 

Diana, while surprised at the brunette’s high-pitched yell too, steps forward and asks, “What are you doing out here?”

Fuck fuck fuck. Akko has to come up with an excuse quickly. “I was uhhh---” She looks around to see if she can protrude a reason out of thin air and her eyes land on the fireflies flying around. Perfect. “Right! I was, uhhh, trying to capture fireflies!”

“Fireflies?” Diana repeated, unconvinced, and unimpressed. 

Akko rapidly nods, almost fearing her neck might break. “Y-Yah! I can’t sleep properly these days, ya knooow? It’s hard for a girl to do anything these days when-- when the Samhain Festival is over our heads!”

The heiress raises a brow, saying nothing. Akko could feel the fucking pressure exuded from her and by Jennifer, say something! Her hands shook and sweated, carefully covering herself with her cloak and hiding the collar from the heiress’s piercing eyes. 

“If you were trying to catch fireflies, where’s your jar then?” Diana suddenly asks. Akko’s mind comes up blank. From her silence, Diana sighs. “What were you really doing out here, Akko?”

Red eyes met blue then Akko knew there was no way out of this. Might as well tell her. Shoulders sinking, Akko admits, “I was practicing my magic.”

“So late at night?” Diana asked, brow rising again and Akko frowns at it. 

“We’re supposed to be performing for the title of Moonlit Witch, right? That’s what I’m doing!” Akko snaps and shifts the weight of her wand to her right hand. As her bandaged hand grabbed onto the wooden handle, one more shock of pain startled her into dropping it. “Ah!”

The heiress gasped and quickly came over to the brunette. “Are you okay?”

_ Shit! Please don’t come nearer! _ Akko thinks, hoping that the heiress would hear it whilst scrambling to retrieve her wand. “Y-Yeah, I’m fine!” she said, cringing at the next flash of pain wracking her hand. “Just being a bit clumsy right now, haha!”

Diana could see the pain in her eyes, even under the darkness. The sight clenched at her chest and she stepped nearer to her, desperate to clear the expression away, ignoring how the brunette blatantly scrambled to get away from her. “Akko, obviously something is wrong,” she insists, crouching down from a meter from the girl, who looked at her cautiously. “Please. I’m not going to hurt you.” She raises a hand. “Just let me see it. So I can heal you.”

Akko stares at the outstretched palm Diana offered, her voice and words are so carefully soft that she felt guilty for trying to get away from her. Well, guilty- _ er _ . She looks up to see Diana watching and waiting for her to take it.  _ Diana’s a good alpha _ , a voice in her mind that sounds like Chariot whispers in Akko’s head.  _ She won’t hurt me, right? She won’t try to suddenly pull me and force herself on me. She’s  _ Diana _.  _

_ She’d never hurt a fellow student... _

The omega stares back into the alpha’s eyes, hand scratching the ground, waiting to accept the offer. When she starts raising her arm, she smells the air then, noticing the strong pheromones the heiress exuded. While comforting, while wonderful, it still reeked  _ alpha _ . 

_ But what about an omega? _

Just when her fingers were a mere two inches away from Diana’s, Akko immediately retracts it, pulling her hand back, shuffling further away from her. “ _ No _ .” 

The action stumped Diana. Again. The blatant rejection struck a massive crack in the threshold of her heart. 

Akko’s frown deepens and she looks away from the shocked expression marred on the heiress’s face. “S-Sorry, Diana, I-I really am but… this is…” 

Diana gapes at her, not even trying to hide the flicker of pain that Akko inflicted on her heart.  _ This was what?  _ **_What_ ** _? Just what did Diana do? What  _ **_could_ ** _ she do? Just to even  _ **_help_ ** _ her? She has to know. She needs to know. _

“A-Akko, I don’t understand,” Diana stammers, feeling desperate as she kneels nearer to the girl. “I can help you,”  _ But will she accept it? _ “Please, I’ve been with you enough to know when you’re in pain,”  _ Does she really? _ “Please. Please, just let me help you.”

The conviction and anguish in Diana’s voice almost broke Akko but the scent surrounding her kept her away from the alpha. Thoughts jumbling, the omega kept quiet instead.

Receiving nothing but a conflicted stare, Diana’s shoulder slump, looking at the brunette sadly. It was too much to bear. “Did…” she gulps.  _ This was it _ . “Did I do something wrong?”

The emotions in Akko’s gaze shifts into one of shock.  _ What? _

“Did I do something to upset you?” Diana continues, blue eyes boring into red ones. “I know I’ve been busy and all, and maybe because of that I haven’t been paying attention much,”  _ Even when all the previous weeks she’s been thinking of nothing but her? _ “But for the life of me, Akko, I don’t know why you’re  _ avoiding _ me.” 

Each word was like a heavy cannonball to the wall the omega tried setting up between the alpha and her. And it was coming down  _ fast _ . Akko quickly sat upright, finally facing the heiress properly. She needs to make stuff clear. “D-Diana, this isn’t about you at all!”

_ So it  _ **_wasn’t_ ** _. _ However, the relief that the statement brought was volatile. “Then why are you avoiding me?” Diana asks again. 

For once, Akko was the one who was stumped. Panic rose in her chest. “I-I…” she tried to say but words failed her.  _ Should she tell her? No. That wasn’t an option. But then what  _ are _ her options? _ The brunette’s mouth dries up as her nerves jumbled in a mess, trying to find any form of excuse. The anguish in Diana’s eyes refrained her from half-assing her reasons. 

She needs the alpha’s trust before she could tell her. The prospect of leaving her unanswered wasn’t at all something Akko wanted, but the idea of telling her then  _ scared _ her deeply. Her only choice to see if Diana would do anything…

“Diana,” she calls. The heiress looks back into her eyes, attention nowhere else. “How… How would you feel when one of your closest friends suddenly… suddenly showed something you never expected from them?”

“Huh?” The heiress stares dumbly, the question catching her off-guard.  _ Something you never expected from them? _ Her lips pressed together in confusion, staring back at the waiting apprehension in those red pools. From what she could take away, did something really happen to Akko and this… friend…? “I… I’d be surprised,” Diana carefully answers, gauging the brunette’s reaction. 

Akko’s gaze became unreadably stoic. “And what would you do?”

Something in the brunette’s words made Diana suddenly feel like she’s on thin ice. She looks down and wonders, what  _ would _ she do? It was obvious Akko was seeking the right answers, and Diana wanted to give it to her but even then, were her opinions correct? Judging by how dull the heiress had become these last few days, probably not. 

Hands bunching up beside her, Diana decided to be nothing but honest. Better than nothing. She was sick of herself being this indecisive coward. “I’m… not sure, Akko,” she admits. “But I will say this,” she looks deeply into those red eyes, so bright and wide that they held the sky’s stars. “Given the circumstances, I wouldn’t hesitate to help them.”

Akko blinks at that, the earnest honesty of her words surprising her for a bit.  _ Diana wouldn’t hesitate to help, _ she muses and from her scent, Akko knew Diana wasn’t spewing one lying word. A brief smile erupts on her face.  _ Diana really is kind _ . 

“Heh,” Akko snorts. Diana looks confused. “That sounds just like you, Diana,” she finally says, shifting her legs to stand up but still maintaining their eye-contact. 

The heiress’s eyes follow her closely. Under the moonlight and the ambiance nature brought, Diana thought the brunette’s smile looked stunning than usual. She follows her movements, quickly standing up but not before catching a glimpse of pain in her eyes. 

It was awful to see her face contort in such a way.  _ I can help her _ , she thinks, stepping forward, and after what feels like forever, Diana grabbed her hand, feeling her warm skin. 

Like a spark, sudden electricity of warmth came through her body just from the small contact, relieving Diana’s previous grievances over the brunette almost immediately. Akko gasps from it and tries to pull away but Diana’s grip grew tight, trapping her. 

She had her now. And Diana wasn’t about to let go. Staring into her eyes, Diana said, “Let me help you, Akko.” Her voice came off a little more forceful than it should but she was tired of letting her get away.  _ So stupidly determined, _ the heiress thinks to herself, then adds, “Please.”

Knowing she has no chance of grappling with the alpha in front of her, Akko stayed silent, cautious of what she was about to do. If there was a God awake right now, she prays that a heat tremor wouldn’t occur from the strain inside her. She just hopes the air around them was cool enough to hide the bubbling heat (and the blush around her face). 

Diana needed a ‘go’ sign. If Akko chooses to reject her, then once again, she will respect that. But as a Cavendish, she can’t let go and continue on the pain in her eyes. So she squeezes her hand, a silent plea to just let her be. 

From that, Akko gives the barest of nods, and Diana wastes no time in tugging off the soiled gauze. Finally,  _ finally, _ a bit of trust started to set between them, and the heiress felt all the burdens go away, all the tension she hid from today’s errands melting off, ridding herself of the guilt she’s been harboring since she talked with Sola as all her concentration was tunneled to Akko and Akko alone.

When Diana uncovers the wound, her heart jumps a bit at the holes Akko’s canines punctured. While not at all severe, it was deep enough to last a scar. She was thankful she was skilled enough to save this, otherwise, they would’ve referred to the clinic. She gave the brunette’s hand a gentle squeeze as a green light erupts from her wand. “This shouldn’t take long,” she assures her, tapping the wand against the injury.

Akko watches the heiress’s eyes before falling to her wound, then sees how it quickly clotted back together, the magic relieving the short shocks. The green light covers most of her hand and before she knew it, the wound was gone. 

Diana smiles at her work and looks up to see Akko’s eyes widen in wonder. “Done,” she whispers and takes off the wand.

“Th… Thank you,” Akko whispers and her face brightens when she could finally move her fingers without any sort of agonizing ache. She grins up at Diana, all other thoughts being drowned out by the clear crystal pools of blue. “That was so cool, Diana!”

The heiress’s heart skips a beat.  _ Her smile is so beautiful under the moonlight, _ she thinks. Maybe it was the gravity of the brunette’s smile that pulled her in. Maybe it was the wind. But all Diana knew that she wanted to lean in and meet her lips in ardor. “You’re welcome,” she whispers instead. 

As Akko continued to grin up at the heiress, she saw another emotion shift in her blue eyes; this time, one of delighted surprise. Something pulled at her gut and she became aware of the tight gentle squeeze on the base of her hand. The brunette starts pulling away and clears her throat. “Um. Anyway,” Her fingers lost contact with Diana's skin. She didn’t know if the brief glimpse of disappointment in the heiress’s eyes was a trick of her imagination or not. 

She tested her new grip and the weight of her wand on her right hand was right as rain. Not only was her hand renewed, but a fresh bolt of energy also rejuvenated her. Diana’s spell must’ve been stronger than just a scar-healing one because she could basically feel like she could run a mile. This in mind, she grins and turns to the heiress. “Give me a few minutes! I swear, I’ll go back after!” 

_ Like I had any other plans _ . Offering the gentlest of smiles, Diana raises a welcoming arm, a signal for her to go nuts. “By all means.”

The same bright smile erupts on her face and she faces the sky. She raises her wand with new-found vigor and yells out the spell, “ _ Ripí Aero! _ ” A gust of wind blows out from its tip, neither too strong nor weak, just enough to make the air around them whirl into life. She switches the spell then. “ _ Floká _ !” Following it was embers and the flames danced with the wind. Akko concentrates, willing the flames to stay lit while she yells out one last spell; “ _ Paleis Capama! _ ”

Diana watches rings upon rings of magic quickly bubbling up the elements, mouth open as the first spells  _ actually _ get trapped in them, all while being lit and whirling around. She looks down and sees the brunette’s ecstatic look, so proud and astonished that she got it  _ right _ this time. Pride swelled in her chest, smiling at the other girl.

Akko wasn’t done yet; she pulls the bubbles together into one magical cluster, the flames and winds starting to become erratic. _ Not yet, not yet, _ she thinks, her wand becoming heavy with all the spells she’s currently exerting. Her blood boiled under her skin, sweat gathering around her face but she was  _ determined _ to get this right. 

When the cluster of bubbles occupied the air enough, a spark erupts from one of them and Akko knew this was the perfect time to let go. With both hands, she flicks her wrist up then down roughly, letting the elements go. The whirls of fire met the pressure of the magical bubbles and collided in an explosion of embers. The gathering wind expanded and began billowing across the field.

Diana gasps, realizing the danger first, and quickly pulls Akko by her cloak, covering her as hot winds come blasting from the pressure of magic and flame. “Ah!” She ignores the yelp and pulls the brunette’s back flush against her body, turning around and grabbing her hat to not let it fly away. 

The winds stopped quickly, however, and when she sniffed the air again, she didn’t smell the smoke from the fire spell. Instead, she smells a buzz of magic and nightly forest winds. Diana feels Akko’s head look up from under her chin and she follows the direction of her eyes.

All around them were shimmers of glamorous sparks, the mixture of flames and magic instead turning into glitters, flickering under the moonlight. _ It’s beautiful _ , Diana thinks before feeling Akko leaving her arms, looking around.

“It… It worked!” Akko whispers, excitement slowly creeping up to her face. The glimmering sparks of magic faded away before they could hit the ground, lighting the place. She jumps for joy. “It  _ worked _ !”

Diana watches the brunette smile and runs across the rains of sparks, her smile so bright and jubilant, shining her face differently. The heiress felt relieved as she stared at the brunette happily dancing through the field for her successful casting. 

When Akko turns her heel to face her, Diana gasps, her heart skipping from the ecstatic glint in her red eyes and her blindingly dazzling smile.  _ She’s beautiful _ .

“Diana, what do you think!?” she yells out giddily, spreading her arms and skipping from one foot to the next. “Thanks to you, I actually did this!”

It was a moment before she actually replied, her voice hard to find when such a sight was in front of her. She smiles back and stands up, looking around. “It’s very dazzling,” she murmurs in wonder. “How did you even come up with this?”

Akko’s grin turns mischievous and wow, if Diana wasn’t smitten before. “A good witch never reveals her secrets.”

Diana rolls her eyes at that but, the playful nature that the brunette was showing brings a wider smile to her face. “Oh please,” she picks up her broom. “Come now, Akko, it’s getting late. You should already be in your dorm asleep at this hour.”

The brunette pouts at her before following Diana back to Luna Nova, opting on foot. She couldn’t stay too mad as the joy of completing her act overruled it strongly, heart free as a bird. She felt more like herself, more like the Akko before her whole mess of heat. It was refreshing. 

As the duo returns, the heiress notices the deliberate distance the brunette had put between them. While not as wide as last time, the mere meter-gap between the two was still so extensive that Diana thinks Akko was  _ still _ holding out some sort of distrust between them.

Her previous question comes back to her and the heiress purses her lips. When they were in somewhere more familiar now, specifically the back pathway of the north building, Diana finally gathered her courage and called, “Akko.” The brunette freezes ahead of her, looking back curiously. “Your question from before. When you asked my opinion about something coming out unexpectedly," They blink at each other. "What did you mean by that?”

Her red eyes flash briefly in surprise before they look down. Diana waits, watching to see if the brunette was going to say anything. Then strainly, she said, “I… I can’t tell you now,” Diana frowns a bit but she quickly adds, “N-Not now, at least! But someday. Okay?”

Diana stares into her eyes, watching the conviction in them. It was a promise. Her smile returns and nods. “Okay.” Relieving happiness appeared in Akko’s face and never did Diana ever feel as light as she was now. 

Akko stares at the genuine look of satisfaction on the heiress’s face and since the return of her heat tremors, she, for the first time, was actually able to look into her face without thinking once of Diana being an alpha. She didn’t see Diana ‘the de facto’ alpha, or Diana Cavendish, the ace student of Luna Nova, or even Diana Cavendish, the Night Patrol guard. The look she bore right now was just Diana; the friend Akko knew as reliable and kind before and after.

She realized then how unfair it was for Akko to always think of Diana as just another alpha she needed to avoid. In heat or not, Diana didn’t deserve being in the rotten end of her avoidance, especially when all she’s done was nothing but  _ kind _ . 

The invitation, the insistence in healing her, even allowing her to practice out in the night.

A resolution finally comes to the brunette. Maybe, just maybe, she can tell Diana first, before everybody else, of her secret. She’ll learn first of how she was related heavily to an omega in hiding, and she’ll spare the heiress of the harsh retribution she’ll receive once she outs herself during the talent show. 

Obviously, it wouldn’t be tonight. Tomorrow, maybe. It was a long day and from the tired look on the heiress’s face, she was desperate for sleep to a point their olfactory senses must’ve taken a place in the backseat. So she turns around, wanting to continue off before one of her teammates wakes up and realizes she wasn’t there anymore. 

Two steps forward, Diana catches her attention. “Akko?” She turns around, tilting her head in question. The heiress’s eyes were full of turbulent conflict, as if she had wronged something. “If anything is bothering you, don’t hesitate to come to me for help.” There was a pregnant pause. “I know something is going on right now and I want to help you in any way I can.”

Akko blinks, unsure what she meant. Diana never looked shaken and rarely did she clarify things; she was a woman who spoke with actions rather than words, believe it or not. So seeing her looking like she’s lost her pride made Akko question, “Are you alright, Diana?”

The heiress freezes at the concerned look shot at her, mouth drying up. As much as Diana knew of Akko herself, the brunette had also taken time to notice her mannerisms too. Well… If there’s anyone Diana was willing to share her troubles with, it would be the person in front of her.

“I…” she uselessly begins, not sure where to start. She starts touching the back of her neck. “I heard of this omega rumor lately…”

Akko flinches. “O-Oh…” While she decided already to let Diana know of her dynamic sooner and accept the damaging consequences, the prospect of her finding out still runs a scared thought across her head.

“I believe I may have…” Diana continues, unable to look into the brunette’s eyes in shame. “Already encountered this omega.”

There was another pregnant pause after that. Akko blinks as disbelief was written all over her face, Diana continuing to bow her head down in shame. As her words sunk in, the brunette shakily asks, “H-How so?”

“I smelled her. In Glastonbury. Last Saturday.” Diana admits, remembering how the mysterious person’s scent invaded her sense so sensually. She hears Akko gasp and Diana sighs. The other girl must’ve realized how crummy of an alpha she really was. “I-I genuinely didn’t think it actually belonged to a student from Luna Nova, alright? It’s just that…” Diana breathes in deeply and runs a hand through her hair, trying to mentally prepare herself for an embarrassing admission. “I never properly smelled an omega before.”

Akko’s eyes widened in surprise.  _ Diana’s never smelled an omega before? _ She thinks, watching at how the heiress looked so conflicted at the moment like she was having an epiphany. Something rose in the brunette’s chest as she had realized that it was actually  _ her _ whom Diana had her first true whiff of omega pheromones. 

That… was something Akko liked, for some reason. 

When Diana looks up, she finds Akko staring at her and she flushes in embarrassment. By the Nines, Diana probably looked like a creepy virgin. “I promise, I know what omegas smell like!” she clarifies, to which Akko flinches. “I have met omegas before but… but I have yet one so…  _ potent _ .”

Akko cringes at the word.  _ Potent makes you sound like a prude, _ she thinks. “H-How did you know it really was an omega?” She asks, trying to feign innocence, as she always does whenever she’s on thin ice. 

“I…” Now Diana really was embarrassed. She palms her face. “I consulted our omega classmate about it…”

Now the brunette really was surprised. Of course, about the fact that Diana consulted another person about what she smelled but Akko was more into that fact that, “You asked  _ Sola _ !?”

Diana palms her eyes. “Who else would have I talked about this?” 

True. There were only a handful of people here in Luna Nova that genuinely knew omegas, and more than half of them were probably biased alphas. Okay, so Akko has to give Diana credit for picking the safest option of consultation, but with how Sola’s teammate twins were so protective of her, the tired look on Diana’s face made more sense than it should. 

“Okay then… So why is it a problem for you?” Akko asks, fidgeting with her hands underneath her cloak. 

Diana sighs again, rubbing her eyes tiredly. She looks down at the dirt, guilt holding her heart again. “I was there, Akko. Sola had concluded that the omega had been in heat, judging by how I reacted to it.”

The brunette’s breath hitches in her throat, fear boiling inside her. But when she smelled the alpha in front of her again, it wasn’t aroused.  _ She’s… guilty _ , Akko realized. Her scent turned damp with remorse and she suddenly had the need to comfort the alpha.

“I was there…” Diana continues. “I was there, yet I hadn’t made any moves to help her. I could have easily helped her, Akko, and she wouldn’t have had to deal with these awful rumors. She wouldn’t have dealt with the pack. I am an alpha but,” she pulls her hand away to look at her palm. “That wasn’t a reason for me to neglect a person in need. I wish I helped her, instead of having to witness all these obscene rumors and assumptions.”

Akko’s jaw dropped and an influx of changing emotions shifted through her. Her heart hammered. She couldn't believe what she was seeing; Diana Cavendish, the de facto alpha of Luna Nova, which is a school that valued alphas and treated omegas like dirt, looked guilty for not helping her. Her! An omega in hiding, just days away from losing control of her body to a cycling fever. 

The emotion depicted in the heiress’s eyes, along with the regret in her scent, convinced the brunette she wasn’t lying. No alpha would ever feel guilty for an omega; at least, not one from Luna Nova. It would’ve been more understandable if Diana hadn’t thought of the rumours as such, given that she’s such a highly-acclaimed alpha who has business to do. 

Just how long had Diana been agonizing over this? It made Akko think. Was Diana actually sympathizing with the mysterious omega? She didn’t have a reason to, yet here she was, baring her heart to her about how she wishes she could’ve been a better alpha. 

The sharp scent of regret, the unhealthy look of guilt…  _ She _ made the heiress like this. It was  _ Akko _ who made her feel like an inadequate alpha, which contradicted everything she had ever done to her. 

Sorrowfully, Akko then realizes how much of a horrible friend she was. She was just as racist as Amanda or Chloe, just as close-minded as Chariot, choosing to think all alphas were enemies instead of friends, with Sucy being the only exception. She hid away just to save her own skin. That wasn’t like her. That was the shittiest thing she could have done; sure, she may fear for her chastity, but what worth is it when she couldn’t even be a good friend to the people who valued her? Or at least,  _ used _ to value her?

Her secret be damned; Akko was going to fix this right  _ now _ .

Diana hears fast footsteps to her front and suddenly, arms were thrown across her neck, almost making her stumble back as a warm yet familiar sensation grasped her, squeezing tightly. Akko was  _ hugging _ her, after for what feels like years. 

“Don’t worry, Diana,” She hears her voice right under her left ear, feeling Akko’s breath tickling her shoulder. “The omega is fine, she’s in the safest place she could be.” 

_ I’m right in your arms, after all _ .

The heiress freezes at her words, too shocked to say anything but a small, “Really?”

She feels Akko nod. She smelled like sweat, the scent of the magical sparks, smoke, and fresh grass clinging to her hair and cloak. “I promise you, she is. You don’t have to feel guilty about yourself,” she hugs her tighter. “It wasn’t your fault, Diana. Even if you hadn’t helped her then, I’m sure you can now.”

_ By healing my hand. _

“And missing one event doesn’t lessen your value at all,” Akko slowly detaches herself from Diana’s body, hands grasping at her shoulders instead. 

_ You’re the kindest alpha I know. _

“And besides,” She looks up at her and Akko sees the stars gathering in those blue pools, the color numbing her brain, the alpha’s warmth drowning out the cold breeze of October. She smiles at the alpha, not in anything else but appreciation. “You’re here with me right now, right? That makes up a lot of your misdeeds. So…  _ thank you.” _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have so much homework left to do, oh my God, I could barely even write shit out. But as I've promised, here it is! The chapter where Diana and Akko finally interact. Hopefully, I'll find some time to make fanart of these two (I really miss drawing them).
> 
> And for clarification, since you guys didn't seem to get my memo, this ABO universe of mine is not essentially having the characters as wolves. See, I just portrayed them having ears and tails and such in my drawings for emphasis of the theme of ABO, which is derived from wolf-hierarchy. They're not wolves, perse, but rather I'm adding them wolf traits that symbolize the theme. Speaking of which, ABO has many factors that can alter universes, mainly the political views and the added second-genders that play vitally in this world. But even then, I understand your frustration with how I write the characters, mainly the very OOC Diana and Amanda, as well as the addition of making Rashmi and Rajani very dislikable in their first appearance. 
> 
> I assure you, readers, that these traits are done so specifically to the story, though that is merely what *I want* to portray rather than what *I need* to. Your criticism in the last chapter has made me re-evaluate my story from the characters' true point of view, and reviewing the several instances when I demeaned the character's actual nature in the pursuit of portraying the ABO dynamics, I realized it has completely sidetracked me of what I planned to portray, ironically. 
> 
> Yes, Amanda should've been one of the few people who, rather than being an alpha asshole (we have plenty of that in this story already), was trusted with the information of Akko secret as an omega, considering how her character is one that continuously rejects Luna Nova's rules and is likely to ignore how alpha-toxic the environment is. My reason for writing her as an alpha-asshole is because she's not necessary to know the secret, but even if she were, I realized that would completely throw off some parts of the story that's already established. I wrote her as well to create a viewpoint on how a *normal* alpha in Luna Nova would act (unlike the twins, who are pro-omega, and Diana and Chloe, who grew up with almost no knowledge of omegas at all.) That being said, she also has a fuckboy flair (if that Appleton episode said anything about it), so care to enlighten me on how she would *not* be lusting after omegas.
> 
> Yes, Diana could've been more flamboyant as a character, and I believe it's my lack of expertise in scriptwriting that failed to accurately write her grace as it should've been. But I really, really hate to see people who see her as a character that doesn't *think* of cursing. Awww, do you want the crusty edges of your PB&J cut off? Do you want Chloe to be nice to omegas too? Diana knows curse words. That is what I believe and what I intend to write. She's not the type to say it aloud, but she's definitely thought of things in length. It makes her a bit more relatable as a character.
> 
> So, that's all I'm clarifying in the notes (because online classes are kicking my ass). If you guys have any thoughts on this chapter, maybe even a whole other essay that criticizes the work, it's wholly accepted, needed even! Your previous comments made me realize a bunch of stuff that needs reviewing, even in the midst of the fact that it's on-going. Me and my beta will wait for it! In the meantime, like a kudos! ;)
> 
> (also 8k hits and 500 kudos???? omfg--)
> 
> (and if yall have any good ideas about this universe, then you can message me on my Tumblr; blee-bleep! Inbox or PM's, all's good)


	9. Preparatory

Barely twelve hours have passed, yet it was like someone had suddenly plugged Diana in and turned her light bulb on. The shift of mood from the Diana from yesterday to the Diana today was too drastic for either Hannah or Barbara to ignore, but they won’t lie, it’s nice to witness the heiress in higher spirits, especially after such a shittily busy day yesterday.

Hannah figures Diana’s late-night patrol might’ve cleared her mind a bit by walking around the castle; for Barbara, she thinks Diana must’ve encountered Akko last night and it didn’t end as badly in contrast to the other encounters with the brunette last week. Neither of them, however, fully knew what transpired between the hours of the night to morning.

And while they respected their leader’s privacy, they were still curious. So Hannah carefully asks, “Did something happen, Diana?”

The heiress almost didn’t hear her. “Hm? Why, nothing in particular,” she said. “It’s just a beautiful morning, is that not enough to warrant a good mood today, Hannah?”

The blue team betas blink when the heiress flashes them a smile, shocking them good. Diana was already charmingly pretty in her normal composure but this? They would’ve been sent into a cardiac arrest. They didn’t ask anything more and left the heiress to herself.

For Diana, the whole night felt like a dream. Even now, she was still wondering if the encounter with Akko was true.

After Akko said her thanks and let go of the hug, they continued on their way, peaceful and light, the tension between them gone. When Diana brought the brunette back to her dorm, she shot her one last grateful look before going inside.

The expression was seared into the heiress’s head; it was happy, thankful, so pretty it almost made Diana’s heart burst. But as she looks closely, she could’ve seen the apologetic glint in her eyes. She could have seen it more clearly if not for the darkness. 

Then Akko disappears.

The heiress began reflecting on what happened between them. They’ve re-established their trust, and with how Akko had promised her to tell something to her soon, if not later, had made Diana think she should seek her now.

The idea of finding Akko now and just relishing in her company made the heiress sigh dreamily in her seat. She glances back and forth from her plate to the door, half-wishing Akko was already here and half-wishing she wasn’t so she could go look for her instead. 

When the whole hour of breakfast was gone, the red team had yet to make any appearances. A twinge of disappointment comes bubbling up in the heiress. She was wondering if the brunette had gone to avoid her again before remembering what the brunette told her yesterday.

Diana smacks her head. Really, she should get rid of this mindset now; everybody has their own problems they need to take care of. Akko was no different. Diana taps her fork against the plate. Akko promised her she’ll come around and Diana will wait for her. So for now, she decides to be patient and let her rationality win.

Breakfast ends and the blue team heads to the faculty lounge to take care of paperwork again. However, when Diana glances outside the courtyard for a bit, she sees a peculiar sight of the red team and Professor Chariot in the first floor halls. 

Lotte was shaking the brunette back and forth by her shirt, with the professor saying something to calm them down. Sucy was glaring at the back of Akko’s head. Had they known about her late-night expenditures then? By how Lotte was yelling at a guilty-looking Akko, they probably did.

Diana smiles. Maybe this afternoon, she can have a chance to talk to her again. Preferably alone.

  
  


***

“--And you hugged her!?”

“W-Well, it was quick, okay? Not like I could die from it or anything--”

“You literally had a heat tremor from talking to her alone, why on earth did you think hugging her was a good idea!?”

“She looked sad, okay!?”

“AKKO!”

Said brunette didn’t meet the beta’s frantic eyes, hoping that the column beside them would bend over and topple or something so something else would get their attention. Alas, the column stayed still and Chariot began speaking again. 

“Honestly, Akko…” the professor whispered, the bridge of her nose pinched between her fingers. “Didn’t you remember what I told you just yesterday?”

Akko pouts up at the older omega and Chariot can already feel her temper easing from that kicked-puppy look. It was unfair that it only took so much to let her student go. But not enough to leave her alone, either. 

“But Professor Chariot, the performance…” Akko whispers in discontent. 

“Yes, yes, but I’ve already filed your sick leave to Professor Holbrooke,” Chariot says, not trusting herself to look at her student. One glance and it’ll be over. She didn’t hear Lotte and Sucy reply, however, and with that, she bats her eye open and--

Akko was giving her  _ that _ look. Face slightly down, big watery eyes peering up at her with all the sadness in the world, lower lip jutted out; the whole shabam. A sudden hit of guilty pheromones comes to Chariot’s nose and she gapes.  _ She even used her scent! _ Chariot thinks, finding any way to counter the brunette’s expression aimed at her soft heart and tries to--

She couldn't do it.

Chariot’s shoulders slump, the kicked-puppy look of her student too much to bear. The older omega palms her face. One more let down wouldn’t kill her, right? Right? “Akko,” she begins. “This really just can’t work--”

A whimper. Almost too much like a puppy that’s been kicked on its stomach. Chariot looks up from the ground, not knowing what to say anymore because Akko is giving her  _ that _ look and she might as well stare at the sun until she goes blind. 

Of course, she knows she must fulfill her duty, but Akko was pleading with her with those big watery eyes so the least she could do is to at least appease her in some way.  _ But what? _ Chariot thinks before her eyes landed on the beta and alpha surrounding the brunette. A lightbulb lit up from above. 

“Okay, how about this?” Chariot said. “I can’t have you practice magic, Akko. But if you really want the red team to participate in the Samhain Festival then I guess…” She glances at the other two members, who froze. “It’s going to be you two.”

“ _ WHAT!? _ ”

  
  


***

  
  


“One, two, forward, and--  _ release _ !”

The magical cluster of bubbles explodes into another plethora of glamour, but not as extreme as the one from the previous night where Akko tried the technique. She frowns a bit and turns to Lotte, who already had her sweat running down her temple. “That was good but it needs more…” she tries looking for a word. “‘Oomph’! You know what I mean?”

“Y-Yes,” Lotte sighs, wiping her brow with a handkerchief. “So… more fire?”

Akko nods, eyes turning to stars as she sits back in her spot on the grass next to Professor Chariot as she oversees her teammate replicate her trick from yesterday. Chariot looks back at the beta who concentrated on getting the flame elemental spell right.

Though the compromise was taken a little less than kindly by the three young witches, after some consoling and with Akko’s blatant agreement (and with the unspoken rule of agreeing whatever she wants), Lotte and Sucy were now out in a clearing some spots from the Moon Tower, practicing the performance that Akko planned to show for the Samhain Festival.

And for Chariot, she was rather impressed with how quickly the beta and alpha got down the spells and actually doing it. Even more so about how Akko thought of the trick, without the aid of the Shiny Rod.  _ That’s just the way she is _ , Chariot thinks fondly, glancing at her student giddily hyping up her friend on her massive cluster of bubbles above them.

“C’mon, c’mon! Just a little more, Lotte!” Akko cheers behind the blonde.

Said blonde already felt her arms going weak from pulling up her heavy wand but she persisted with a war cry. “R-Right!” 

Chariot chuckles at the sight of the Finnish girl going red before hearing a rustle from behind. She turns and sees the red team alpha shuffling around the forest ground again, briefly inspecting a mushroom she plucked before throwing it into a pouch. Chariot blinks and glances back to be sure the duo wouldn’t end up dying from the spells one of them was casting before following the alpha into the shady area. 

She crouches down beside the alpha carefully, making her pause for a bit before continuing to inspect a brown mushroom with an odd head. Chariot smiles at the alpha’s nonchalant demeanor before asking, “You’re not bothered by this, are you Sucy?”

The puce-haired witch shakes her head a bit, not looking up at the older omega’s eyes, and throws the mushroom into the bag. “It’s Akko. Can’t argue with her on anything when it’s things like these.” Her cold red eyes soften for a bit then cold again. Chariot catches it and smiles good-naturedly at the younger witch, who notices her and becomes uneasy. “What?”

“Well,” Chariot breathes and looks over to the roots full of mushrooms growing from. “I just want to say thank you, Sucy. For being such a good alpha to Akko. You know how brazenly she acts, especially about dynamics.”

Sucy sat silent before picking up another mushroom. “I don’t mind,” she says simply, scrutinizing the fungi a bit more before dumping it on the ground. 

Chariot watches the girl, tension surrounding them. She figures this was a good time as ever to ask so she does, tentatively. “If you don’t mind me asking, Sucy, how come…” The alpha turns to her. “How come you’re such a tame alpha? I-I mean, not that all alphas are crude, it’s just very assuring that Akko has an alpha teammate like you. But I know your restrained demeanor came from somewhere…”

Sucy blinks at her slowly, testing the Frenchwoman’s gaze before falling back to the grove of mushrooms. “Just my upbringing is all…” she said nonchalantly. “When you’re surrounded by a lot of siblings,”  _ Seven, to be specific, with four of them being omegas, _ “Territories for alphas become something else.”

A deep explosion occurs from behind them, breaking winds for a bit and they turn around to see Lotte and Akko being showered by glamour. The brunette jumps for joy, shaking the blonde by her shoulders. 

“Professor, professor!” Akko cries, skipping up to the duo. “Did you see that!? Lotte finally did it!”

Chariot and Sucy walk out of the bushes and look around the showers of glamour that the beta had pulled off in awe. “It’s amazing!” Chariot remarks, lifting a hand to try and catch a sparkle only to disappear under her palm. 

Lotte turns red from the compliment, shyly ducking away as she fiddled with her wand. “I-It was mostly Akko coaching me, though… This is  _ her _ spell, after all.”

“Looks bright enough,” Sucy shrugs. “In daylight.”

“Then imagine what it’ll look like on the night of the Samhain Festival!” Akko jumps around one last lap across the rain of glamour before stopping to stand in front of the alpha and looks into her eyes. “We can totally knock the other performances out of the park with this!”

“Dumbass,” Sucy snarks and pushes the brunette off from her path. “Something like a simple glamour won’t be enough to those old alumni.” She opens her pouch and pulls out a few mushrooms and another potion, putting the mushrooms down on the ground. “If you want a show-stopper--” A few drops of the potion landed on the fungi.

Backing up a bit, the four watched the mushrooms react to the thing Sucy gave them. It convulsed and wiggled before it expanded, growing in size until they were as tall as trees. Chariot’s eyes rounded as the red team members watched in awe, the alpha cackling. 

“You gotta make it big.”

  
  


***

  
  


It was already afternoon when Chariot finished coaching the red team, well more specifically two out of three of the red team members (they had to strap Akko in a tree to get her to stay put), and by the time Chariot called to stop, the alpha and beta members dropped dead on the floor.

Fortunately, such hard work rewarded them handsomely. The summoned bubbles and elemental spells came out a lot more precisely from Lotte’s wand, sending out the spells after spells sharply despite the consecutive rounds. For Sucy, she was trickier since she wanted to add mushrooms into the show, like what she did last performance. Fortunately, the timing of the glamour and the mushroom’s sprouts were timed correctly after a few practices.

Once they accomplished that, Chariot let them go, handing Akko’s collar after leaving her by a tree-like a pet that wasn’t allowed to disturb them. “You girls did well today,” she says, smiling proudly at the team.

Akko pouts, being the only one whose robes weren’t scorched from flying around and shooting spells. “I didn’t do anything though--” Sucy pulls her on the leash, “ACK!”

Sucy’s teeth bare in annoyance as she grips the leash harshly. “Damn right you didn’t.” While they were used to receiving the brunt of Akko’s ambitious nature, this time it put the alpha’s patience in its threshold. “You’re going to treat me with the mushroom stew at the Last Wednesday Society this weekend, ya hear me?”

“Ahhh, I got it, I got it!” Akko cries as the collar tightens around her neck, the pull of the alpha on her leash unrelenting its hold. 

Chariot smiles fondly at their antics before the beta eventually handled them to leave. “T-Thank you so much for today, Professor!” Lotte says with a smile, red from all the magical exertion she made, and pulled her bantering teammates back on the way to the dorm.

When she was sure the red team was safely venturing through the campus with the omega’s scent sealed tightly, Chariot quickly begins to return to her office, her mind going back to what she’s learned over the past 12 hours about the brunette’s day and encounters. 

It’s only Wednesday, and yet so much happened already that Chariot was beginning to think that keeping Akko’s secret wouldn’t last, with how reckless her encounters with alphas were. All of them seem to unknowingly attract themselves to the brunette, yet it was more or less because she was  _ Akko _ , instead of an omega.

At least, that was what Chariot concluded. Then there was Diana. Akko’s encounter with the alpha was more or less tame, and from her words, Diana looked ‘mopey’. Maybe Chariot has to give her student some credit. By the Nines, she knew already that no matter what situation Akko was in, she was  _ kind _ . So if one of her friends looks even the least bit down, the girl would always hop up to the opportunity to keep them glad. 

Chariot purses her lips as she looks out of the window from the staircase to her office, watching a vast sea of trees, lost in thought.  _ It’s just a coincidence _ , she thinks to herself.  _ Diana couldn’t have possibly been led to her by anything else but her duty as a night patrol. _

A pinch of doubt still clung to her mind, haunting her for her student’s safety, and Chariot groans. Alphas truly were spontaneous witches. Any moment one of them could jump right at Akko if she wasn’t careful enough. 

For a few short moments, Chariot figures she was alone before she smells a new scent in the air; obviously beta, with a strong homey fragrance of mint and tea. She was some hallways in the tower before she recognized it then.

“Ah, Professor Du Nord! You’re here, I was just about to look for you,” Headmistress Holbrooke’s voice makes Chariot look up and see the woman just some doors away from her. 

She widens her eyes in surprise, to which Holbrooke sent her her signature grandmotherly smile. “H-Headmistress!” she replies, astonished. “Can I help you?”

“Just a minor request, Professor Du Nord,” Holbrooke says, waving her to come to her side. Chariot quickly does. “I just want to talk, is all. In private.” Holbrooke stops just by the door to Chariot’s private quarters, smiling at the taller woman as she signals her to open it.

The redhead’s palms start to sweat. A talk? In  _ private _ ? Oh gods, in Chariot’s 28 years of living, nothing comes good from private talks with adults. True, she was an adult herself but a private conversation with  _ Miranda Holbrooke _ ? It would’ve been fine if the Deputy Headmistress accompanied her but the woman was going solo here and that meant shit was going down.

Chariot didn’t know how she found it in her to reply, “Of course, Headmistress,” and open up her quarters. Maybe it was the older witch’s spells but the woman was too kind to pull that on her… right?

She didn’t have enough time to think when the woman was already seated in one of her chairs, her arms automatically driving to make tea. Placing the tray on the table in front of them, Holbrooke picks up her cup and says, “I apologize for the sudden visit, Professor Du Nord, but it was hard to catch you alone.”

“Well, here I am, haha…” The redhead tries for a small chuckle and a glint of humor was present in the older witch’s eyes. 

“Yes. I’m here to ask a request of you, Professor Chariot,” She places her teacup down. “While I understand you are busy with coaching these students with their performances for the Moonlit Festival, I was hoping you’d help me with a little study of mine during the talent show.”

Chariot blinks. While sure, some students have been asking her for advice for performance magic, she wasn’t exceptionally busy… Unless it involved her apprentice, that is. Still, Holbrooke looked hopefully at her. Maybe Chariot could give it a shot. “Umm, whatever could that be, Headmistress?”

Holbrooke’s spectacled gaze softens into something unreadable before she lifts her head, lost in thought. “Miss Chariot,” she begins, “What you think is the nature of an alpha?”

Chariot blinks, more surprised at the fact that the Headmistress switched her name. But the subject turned a sudden drop inside her stomach. “Umm…”

“To find their true nature, we judge them from how they act in front of omegas,” Holbrooke nods at her own words. “As alphas and omegas have the most ideal chemistry with each other, correct?”

She was lost. “Yes?”

“It truly is. And I’ve tried to study more on that since I helped with the omegas’ feminists movement. It’s been several decades since I managed to open this school’s gates to omegas, and yet only a handful has ever entered here. And when they do, most of them don’t last as long, as I have predicted,” The older witch sighs and shakes her head for a bit. “The Samhain Festival will prove to be an anxious day for our omega students. And I believe I need your opinion about it.”

Chariot’s heart lurches in her throat. Her breath hitches when Holbrooke gives her a warm look yet her blood only ran cold under her skin. Did she…? 

“Do you think we should do something?” Holbrooke continues, “As a precaution? Or do we only act once it gets worse?”

The redhead blinks at that, dismissing her suspicious feelings as her mind reels back to Akko. Akko, who was days away from her heat. Akko, who already interacted with four alphas so closely in the past three days alone, most of which ended with her lying on the floor. Akko, who didn’t deserve to not have a take on a show in the festival. Chariot’s answer was immediate. “We should take a lot of precautions, Professor,” Then she questions, “Why are you asking?”

Holbrooke doesn’t waver. “Because, Professor Du Nord,” she says with a sigh, “We are beginning to put more of our omegas out there. With the course the Samhain Festival is going, it will be like a circus then. And it’s main act will be the omegas.”

Eyes widening, the redhead's mind abandons its reigns of rationality and lets her emotions take a drive of the ideas bursting in her mind. She imagines not finding out Akko’s dynamic. She imagines foolishly letting her join in the talent show. She imagines her heat occurring then, and all of the sudden alphas come at her from different directions, to claim, to own, to  _ knot _ . Chariot screwed her eyes shut, trying to dismiss these images plaguing her mind as her knuckles turned white from gripping the armrests. 

“It’s the perfect opportunity to sort alphas in three categories,” Holbrooke continues without any regard to the other witch. Chariot normally didn’t think of violent thoughts, especially about a woman as kind as the headmistress, but she wanted to strangle her then. “If an alpha pursues the omega, they are a sadist; if an alpha gets repulsed by the exhibit, they are a moralist; but if they like to watch the reaction, they’re voyeurs.”

Chariot was repulsed. The older witch’s scent continued to remain neutrally attractive, however. “That sounds horrifying, headmistress.”

Holbrooke laughs,  _ laughs _ , and says, “Indeed it is! This is why I need you in this plan to ensure our omegas’ safety, Chariot. And my other request for you is to help me categorize these alphas then.”

“Oh, um, I can do that,” Though Chariot would prefer not to stare at alpha witches’ reactions to their omega students. Speaking of which... “May I ask, headmistress, who are exactly the omega students we’re ‘putting’ out?”

Holbrooke’s small eyes widened. “Oh, haven’t you heard of the rumors, Professor?” she asks. “I meant  _ her _ , Chariot. After all, weren’t you preparing for her just this afternoon?” Chariot’s heart lurches again in her throat, the breath in her lungs getting sucked away. Holbrooke lifts a finger at her nose. “Though with how you smell, I suppose it wasn’t exactly her you were grooming for, was she?”

Chariot stares at the older witch, jaw-slacked, eyes becoming saucers as Holbrooke’s words start to sink in, gears starting to turn on  _ how _ and  _ why _ . Holbrooke only continued to smile kindly at her, patience avast. It was a few more moments before Chariot finally found her voice. “H-Headmistress…” Her voice was hoarse from shock. “Y-You knew?”

“Why, of course, dear!” Holbrooke grins. “A good headmistress of Luna Nova should be able to discern her student’s dynamic from sight and nose alone. What kind of headmistress would I be then?”

An especially creepy one. Wait, that means… Chariot carefully lifts a questioning finger to her own miffed face. 

Holbrooke smiles and nods playfully at her. “Yes, Chariot, even you. But in truth, when you became Ursula, you masked your scent and appearance so well, I was almost fooled that you were actually a beta! Congratulations, Professor Du Nord, you nearly fooled an S-Class witch’s nose.” 

Chariot didn’t feel like celebrating. Here she was, trying to hide a secret from the staff, and yet the headmistress had easily cracked it like Humpty Dumpty. She felt humiliated. “So you did…” she whispers before looking back up at Holbrooke’s eyes. “If you knew then why didn’t you say anything?”

Holbrooke blinks at her question like it was stupid. “Well, I have no reason to spread such information in the first place, do I, Professor Du Nord?” Okay, if you put it that way, maybe her question really was stupid. “And even if you hid your scents and behavior well, there are other, ah…  _ factors _ that were obvious about your dynamics.”

_ Wait, what? _ Chariot’s brows rise at that. “Other factors?” she whispers. What could there possibly be, aside from scents and behaviors?

Holbrooke’s eyes study her for a bit before the woman deflates a bit with a sigh, eyes turning to her right where Chariot finds the map of the Grand Triskelion and the Seven Words of Arcturus. 

“Omegas cannot take magic from their person without triggering certain spots, you know that very well yourself, Professor Du Nord,” Holbrooke says. “Especially in the earlier ages, when suppressants aren’t as strong as they are now. So they need a vessel. And there are many other pools of magic an omega can take from, such as emotions or a Philosopher’s stone, or maybe even a dragon’s. And yet, none of them could hold a candle to the magic of the stars.” They turn back to each other. “The Claiomh Solais is the strongest wand to ever handle the magic of the stars, and for such a vessel, it’s rarely ever seen. Records rarely have a say about the Claiomh Solais yet one thing is assured; it would never fall into an alpha or beta’s hands.”

Chariot’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. She was reeling from all the information being dumped at her at once. “You mean to say…”

Holbrooke nods, almost like she could see how fast the gears were currently turning in the younger witch’s head. “You omegas have far more worth than what others think you do, Chariot. Never forget that.” She puts a hand in front of her lips. “Let’s keep this between us for now, yes? Now about the request…”

  
  


***

  
  


“Ah, welcome back, Miss Kagari! Oh, and I see you’ve brought one of your teammates with you as well? Good, good,” Dr. Xena met the red team by the lobby of the clinic, smiles and all. Akko smiles back at the doctor while Sucy was struck still behind her. 

The alpha was astonished. While Akko warned her about the doctor being a bit eccentric, she left out on how she smelled like. Sucy’s senses heightened as they entered the clinic, the doctor’s scent being mild yet odd. It wasn’t something she smelled on other people. 

Dr. Xena blinks when she realizes it was only the two of them. “Where’s Professor Du Nord?”

Akko shrugs. “She said she had some errands on the way here. She’ll come by later to pick us up though, don’t worry.”

“Well if that's the case then we shouldn’t lose any more time. Come now.” Dr. Xena flags the brunette inside her office with a kind smile, where Akko was yet again led to sit on the examination table, and the alchemist waited outside in the lobby. Sucy huffs, becoming bored quickly before she spots the table under the coffee table. Rolling her eyes, she takes it.

Nothing much else was interesting to her anyway...

Inside the examination room, Akko levers herself into the table, the metal hitting the bare skin of her legs as she and the doctor begin exchanging pleasantries. The procedure was the same as last time; Akko’s blood pressure was taken, a flashlight shining in her eyes, a tongue depressor on her mouth, the work’s of last week. She moves her feet back and forth over the table as the doctor continues to scribble down on her clipboard, humming to herself now and then. 

“So, um…” Akko starts, watching as Dr. Xena’s face falls into one of turbulence. “Is there something going on?”

“Well, not as serious as you’d think it is… Buuut it’s definitely on the right path. I have something else I need to check though, Miss Kagari,” Dr. Xena places her clipboard down and snaps her fingers. Another beta nurse comes in the room, carrying a tray of instruments.

She also notices there were several other vials filled with translucent liquid in them. Akko briefly wonders what they were for before it hits her; a sense test. 

Dr. Xena smiles when at the omega’s surprised look as she slaps on a pair of latex gloves. “This will be quick, Miss Kagari. Since you are now six days away from your heat, we have to test your senses to see if they’re in their most prime, not suppressed by any means. Your olfactory, especially in an alpha facility, needs to be at it’s best.” She picks up several vials, the tiny glasses clinking together. “Don’t worry, these things are just isolated compounds; they’re by no means actual scents from people.”

The two put on heavy masks and the nurse adjusted the massive light beside the examination table. The light suddenly blaring in her eyes had Akko wincing but she wills herself to focus on the vials in front of her, the doctor pulling out a scent machine and pouring one of them into it. “Here we go,” Dr. Xena whispers, pushing the power button. 

The scent of cleaners and antiseptic was replaced with a new scent then, and Akko’s olfactory sense quickly caught on. 

Plain, like every day inside of a building, and yet it had something mild in it, some like anger. “Beta,” Akko murmurs. “It’s a beta’s and it’s… angry.”

“Correct,” Dr. Xena nods and switches out the vial with another. The nurse waved her wand around and the scent of beta disappeared. 

The next scent was stronger, something that made Akko’s skin crawl. It smelled subdued, however, and Akko felt that it was familiar before it struck her; her encounter with the heiress a few days ago. She frowns. “It’s a sad… alpha.”

Dr. Xena and the nurse exchanged glances. The former nods in approval and switches the scent then. It went on like that for the rest of the testing, the scents turning milder and milder, almost unpickable. However, Akko retrieved them so easily that she became bored by the time it was the last vial. 

The two betas exchange glances again as the doctor picks the last one up, the nurse’s brows raising in question as she pauses her writing. Akko watches them, wondering what was in the thing before Dr. Xena eventually poured it in. The mild scent of happy omega pheromones disappears, replacing it with…

Akko almost couldn’t smell it. It was so mild that she wouldn’t have thought it was there. She closes her eyes, sitting upright, concentrating her nose to pick up anything before smelling  _ it _ .

The scent was aroused. Though the scent was barely a dab at her olfactory sense, it was still undeniably lustful, like something was stalking her. Her blood runs cold when she realizes it was an alpha’s pheromone lacing it. “It’s… It’s an alpha,” she whispers hoarsely, closing her legs in reflex. The betas glance at each other. “And it’s lusting or something.”

Dr. Xena nods approvingly at the omega before turning the burner off. Once her nurse finishes scribbling the records, she waves her wand around again and the scent is gone. The omega slumps on her spot then. While she knew the scents weren’t authentic, it was creepy to think about how it made her react in some way.

“Your olfactory sense is in its finest state, Miss Kagari,” Dr. Xena’s voice came out clear as she removed her mask, placing it on the tray, the nurse clicking the lights off. “You got it all perfectly. Congratulations.”

“Yayyy…” Akko whispers. Now she knows what an aroused alpha smells like. Great, more reason for her to stay inside. 

“One last thing…” Dr. Xena quickly pulls out a new butterfly needle. Akko nonchalantly lends her arm, where she collects a bit of her blood sample then covers it with cotton and tape. Then leaves. 

Well, that was anticlimactic. Akko winces at the prickled skin before smelling the sugar in front of her. The kind nurse handed her a lollipop with a smile. “You did great. Just wait here, okay? Dr. Xena just needs a few words with your teammates. Meanwhile, have this.”

Akko’s red eyes shone at the gesture. “Wow, thanks!” she cries, gingerly taking the candy and immediately unwrapping before popping the treat into her mouth. The taste of pumpkin was refreshing.  _ Uwahh! It reminds me of Halloween! _ She thinks happily, sucking on the treat as the nurse watches over her.

Dr. Xena came back then, looking at her files on the clipboard thoughtfully before she started to grill Akko about her uses of magic in the past week. Well, the brunette couldn’t bring herself to care; she was going to continue practicing anyhow. She half-listens to the doctor rambling about her bloodwork becoming more rampant than she expected, but her mind went back to the damp scent of a sad alpha, the smell reminding her of her encounter with Diana a few days ago.

She didn’t see heiress since that, aside from the few glimpses of her in the courtyard through the window. Akko rarely left the room, and when she did, it was only when she was out for walks in a seclusive route around the school, accompanied by both of her teammates. Well, if that's what she gets then Akko might as well get all of it.

The doctor’s berate was quick and standard, and Akko was then quickly led outside where her teammates and mentor were waiting. She expected Professor Chariot and Lotte were already going to be there, but not the big slab of a paper bag next to them. She tilts her head. “What’s that?”

“Just a few things to add in your nest,” Professor Chariot tells her, patting her spot on the couch before Dr. Xena starts flagging her into her office. Once the door to the doctor’s office was closed, the red team was left by themselves; being watched over by the owl perched on the corner of the lobby. 

“So? What did she say?” Sucy asks as Akko riffles through the paper bag.

_ It’s manga _ , the brunette realizes before replying, “She just made me take a sensory test, nothing much. My nose was pretty accurate, so I guess it was good? Huh? This is...” She picks up the topmost comic book with a redheaded swordsman and Lotte beams. 

“Ah, that! It was on the best-seller shelf so I figured you might like it, Akko,” the beta chirps. “Professor Chariot got all ten of the books so you won’t get bored.”

Akko’s eyes shone with stars, pawing the comic. “Wow, it’s been so long since I last read manga! Thanks, you guys!” she begins flipping through the book before another sight catches her eyes inside the bag. She peers into it and finds out what it was; chains.

The omega blinks at the sight, wondering what it was for before Professor Chariot and Dr. Xena step out of the office again, both with grim expressions as they halted in front of the red team. The three huddled together quickly, mentally preparing themselves for the verbal beatdown that was about to descend upon them. 

  
  


***

  
  


“ _ Don’t let her use any more magic until after her heat. Make sure of that, okay? _ ” Dr. Xena’s voice was drilled into the brunette’s head, whispering daily reminders whenever she even thought of getting out of her nest. She briefly wonders if the woman hexed her just so she could stay inside.

Akko sighs, rubbing her eyes as she closes the eighth manga and turns on her back. 

She shuffles in her nest of sheets and pillows and soft stuffed toys that Lotte had found for her to use and scent-mark. It was so utterly comfortable that Akko basically sunk into it but her body continued to be restless, her brain itching to do something despite being so sluggish against the sheets. Slight heat tremors have been wracking her body here and there, and while they weren’t as strong as other tremors, she could still feel it tingling her gut. 

The days since her appointment was a blur, bleeding together so seamlessly that Akko didn’t notice. She didn’t even realize so much time passed because Lotte and Chariot kept her convinced to stay inside; via books or board games. That none of which she won.

The brunette throws her bolster in humiliation. “ _ Mou _ ! That stupid Uno game was rigged!” she yells at the fallen pillow, angry at Sucy’s unexpected +4 card that was ranged at her. 

She continues flailing around her nest as she agonizes over her lost time before she hears somebody laugh behind the doors. It was loud, something that Akko would’ve heard as a hyena. She stills and watches the corner of the room where the scent barrier could be seen. It still looked thick enough that nobody would think there was an omega preparing for heat inside but her uneasiness wasn’t appeased.

When the hallway outside quiets down, Akko breathes, turning around in her nest to inhale all the scents she spent days ingraining into it before finally realizing what was happening.

“What am I doing!? I’m just laying rotting until my heat!” she exclaims angrily, taking another pillow and beating up a bundle of Lotte’s clothes in the corner of her nest with it. She probably looked so vulnerable, laying here with all her soft sheets and stuffed toys-- It was stupid!

But all the baby-proof locks Professor Chariot installed were there. She has to waste a bit of time to get through those. 

Akko looks at the old clock on her desk; 7:03. Sucy and Lotte probably wouldn’t come back until 7:30, she knows they probably needed a break from taking care of her mess so much. 

So she has 20 minutes at best. That’s less than enough to practice for her magic but she’ll take anything.

The brunette ignores the voice in her head as she leaves her nest, crouching down and taking out a long piece of steel wire from underneath the mattress of Sucy’s bed and goes over to Lotte’s dresser, quickly unlocking it to retrieve her confiscated wand. She puts the wire back to its hiding spot and directs the tip of her wand to the locked doorknob. 

If she can’t pick the damn lock, force it was. It’s been a while since she got out, and though she barely has any time left to make up for her performance, she could make do with the remaining hours alone. Screw her heat. 

Putting back her cloak on and liberally spraying herself with her beta perfume again, Akko carefully opens the door and peers outside if anybody was there. It was empty. Perfect.

Akko runs out, wand in hand and she smiles mischievously. 

Lotte and Sucy’s performance ran for about five minutes and used several consecutive spells in that short time to achieve a great intro and a banging explosion. What Akko needs to do is to insert something that wouldn’t make it too abrupt. She could think of something up. They worked hard on their practices. If the beaten look they showed after was any indication, and Akko wasn’t going to a dick by ruining it. So she needs to elevate it in some way, discreetly. 

When Akko was somewhere a bit far away from the dorm rooms then, and even more so from the cafeteria, she pulls her hood down and brings out her wand, breathing in the cold air. 

_ It’s going to be fine _ , she thinks, fidgeting for a bit before grappling the collar on her neck. Excessive to her health, maybe, but she wasn’t about to lose.

  
  


***

  
  


Sucy and Lotte walk back to their dorm earlier than they should be, a tray of food in hand and an extra ramekin of yogurt for Akko, which was a gift from the faeries who had heard about Akko’s sick leave. (“It’s her favorite,” the head chef told Sucy. “Maybe it’ll give her back some energy.”)

The red team alpha cracked her neck. It was aching from the strain of practicing her and Lotte’s performance for the Samhain festival as well as watching over the omega of the team. What a drag.

“You okay?” Lotte whispers to her. Sucy grunts a nod and the beta smiles apologetically. “You don’t have to put up such an angry front, Sucy.”

“Who says I am?” she snaps.

“Me,” Lotte clarifies. “Don’t worry Sucy. Once Akko hits the end of her heat, it’ll go back to the way it was.”

The alpha scoffs. “It better be. I haven’t been able to have anybody test my poisons for a while and I’m tired of bringing back this stupid tray for her.” She rattles the dishes in her hands for emphasis.

Lotte laughs at her remark. While Sucy was a bit much on her comments, the beta knew the alpha had no shame in taking care of their omega teammate. She takes out the key to their dorm, something that had just been installed per advisory of Dr. Xena.

The doctor was a nice woman, though if Lotte imagined her as a professor here in Luna Nova, she would be by far the most intimidating one then. Clearly, the gentleness was a facade waiting to be replaced.

Lotte shudders, but as she opened the door, she was met with a far more bone-chilling sight. 

Sucy notices her freeze by the entrance. “Something’s up?” 

The beta quickly slams the door back before any more of Akko’s scent leaks out of the room and turns to Sucy with a panicked look on her face. She frantically hisses at her, “ _ Akko’s gone! _ ”

  
  


***

She was some yards away from the botanical garden, assured by the scent of flowers of the garden masking hers. Everyone was in the cafeteria, which was about a mile away from her. 

The thought alone brings confidence to the brunette, making her grip on her wand tighter, just as precise and correct.

If there’s anything Akko needs, it was stamina, and that’s exactly what she had. So with a flick of her wand and a whisper of a spell, misty air began to accumulate all over her, almost covering her figure. Then a gust of wind billows out of her wand, blowing it all away. Akko grins; so far, so good. 

She raises her arms and imagines an audience all around her. She imagines them cheering before she forces her wand up again, first releasing more gusts of winds before switching to fire, then capturing them all in her bubbles. The magic was more graceful now, not as erratic as her first try at this technique. 

However, something felt amiss when she tried gathering the bubbles into a cluster, the next step to her performance. 

Then her vision explodes into white.

A searing pain erupts under Akko’s skin, almost boiling her blood, the abrupt rise in temperature of her body cutting off her concentration. It felt awful when everything inside her suddenly became hot and tight, cramps occuring fucking  _ everywhere _ .

The spells she had going in the air went loose when Akko’s knees gave out and buckled from underneath her, blowing hot gusts of wind all around her as the bubbles exploded. Her face lands in the dirt, covering herself, waiting out the elements she dispelled as she whimpers in pain.

It’s hot, so fucking hot it was  _ unbearable _ . Her cloak suddenly felt too warm, despite being the only cover she had above her pajamas against the chilly night, and her wand was too heavy in her head, the wood enticing pins and needles all over her skin.

Akko starts gasping for air when she tries to pull herself up off the ground.  _ Hot, hot, hot, hot, hot, hot _ , was a mantra in her head, breathing falling short no matter how hard she tries to breathe in. Her heartbeat was crazy, her whole body started sweating, and she just wanted to curl up in a ball and die. 

As the air around her turns thin, she thought idly passes in her mind as she realizes what is happening. 

Her heat was here. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooooooly fuck, I'm so sorry for the late update but homework is kicking my ass, as always. Anyways, this chapter might be the most boring one so far yet, so boring i actually forgot to make art for it. So after writing down a bunch of wrong answers on my modules, i hauled ass to the computer just to finish a shitty drawing lullllllll.
> 
> but! it's here now. tbh, after discussing for a bit with my beta-reader, we took in a lot of consideration into the story and i had to rewrote this repeatedly. the timeskip was entirely intentional, since it's pretty, idk, boring. I'll admit, it could've used a bit more pov from other people like diana or amanda, but considering how i need to establish other bullshit to make this work, i just skipped a lot of stuff altogether, so much so that this is by far the most boring. hopefully by next week, you guys will have a better time reading this;)).
> 
> Akko's in her heat now!!!!!!! what yall been waiting for is now in work. leave a comment or kudos! really appreciate to read them, especially after such a beatdown from homework, that just means i need to do better for this fic:)
> 
> till next time!


	10. Cause and Effect

She wasn’t in the classrooms. Nor in the laboratory, the courtyard, or field. Not even in any of the bathrooms!

Lotte stops running, breathing in the cold air through her burning throat as a single question echoes in her mind: where is Akko? She groans exasperatedly before hearing the familiar footfall behind her. She turns to Sucy. “Any luck?”

The alpha shakes her head, face scrunching in frustration. She tried running across the cafeteria and classrooms again to see if Akko wandered there in search of food but her nose didn’t catch anything. “I tried picking up her scent but I guess she’s using a scent-blocking spell or something.”

Hearing that, Lotte groans again, ducking down and trying to get as much of breath back before standing up. “Okay. No use running around. We should use our heads. Maybe… Maybe Akko’s gone to our usual practice areas? Maybe she’s trying to practice her magic again.”

“By the towers?” Sucy’s brows shoot up. “She’s a dumbass but she won’t get that far...” They pause to think about it and realize, yeah. “That makes more sense actually. C’mon.”

The options they had were beginning to dwindle but with an omega on the loose around Luna Nova, they had to take all of it. The pair went through the halls again, careful not to get caught by anybody before dashing through the courtyard, and went over to the New Moon Tower, where they had been previously practicing for their performance with Professor Chariot. While Akko was stuck in her nest, they’ve been hurdling their butt off trying to get their spells to time with each other, synchronizing the sprouts of mushrooms with light faeries bubbling up as soon as the glamour was done.

It seems Akko didn’t get the memo of teamwork. Sucy grits her teeth, glaring as she cranes her neck around for any signs of an omega due for a heat. But as moments pass by without a hinting wisp of strawberries and sakura, they knew Akko wasn’t here. “Goddammit,” the alpha grunts, breath coming out in puffs as she circles around the tower. “Once this is over, I’m gonna chain her to her nest so that she’ll never leave the dorm again.”

“That’s just going to make it worse,” Lotte huffs beside her before they felt the wind pick up, and the air carried something. 

Sucy feels a pull at her gut when she sniffs, smelling something so definingly omega. It was mild, diluted by the carrier wind but the alpha’s nose was experienced enough to know what it was. “Lotte,” The beta freezes behind her. She points a finger somewhere behind the castle. “She’s all across over there.”

“What!?” Lotte screeches, looking at the direction of the alpha’s bony finger. “H-How do you--”

“Concentrate!” Sucy snaps. Fearfully, the beta did and closes her eyes as she puts all her focus into her nose. Then there it was; wisps of sakura and strawberry and undeniable feminine lust. 

Her eyes snap open in shock. It was Akko’s no doubt, but something else was boiling in her scent; something more primal, pulsing with gushes of pheromones, as though it was sending a message. “I can smell her. But-- But it’s different.”

“We need to get to her before anyone else does,” The alpha demands and fully turns to the beta. “Lotte, you’re much better at invisibility spells than me, so you’re going to get Akko first. Okay?”

“R-Right!” Lotte nods apprehensively, already stepping ahead to get her wand from the dorm. “What about you?”

Sucy rummages through her robes and picks out one of her vials of scent-doubles. “Another alpha might’ve picked up on her scent by now. I’ll set up a diversion.” She pulls off her cloak from her shoulders then snaps, “Go!”

And Lotte was gone, already yards ahead, stepping into the darkness then she was gone.

Sucy’s eyes roam, watching the building of the cafeteria where everyone probably was, and she  kisses her teeth . There are 31 alphas in there, give or take. More than half with impeccable noses, and they’d be all over Akko in minutes. Seconds, if her scent spikes. Jesus Christ.

The alpha went to work, taking her cloak and tearing it into several batches before pouring vial after vial of Akko’s scent-double in them. She dumps the soiled clothing under a tree before she kicks a bunch of leaves and twigs over it. The scent of strawberries and sakura hung in the air, just as strong as the one on the other side of the academy. 

Sucy steps out of the woods and through the light of the windows, she sees a commotion already stirring inside the mess hall. The witch grins evilly at the chaos she predicts ensuing. “Even in her heat, Akko never fails to make things amusing.” Then she runs to hide.

  
  


***

  
  


It’s been days since Diana has seen Akko. 

That might’ve been expected, considering the Samhain Festival was literally tomorrow (and knowing Akko, she was probably working day and night for her performance), but then came the unexpected sick leave of the brunette; she had consecutive dizzy spells these past few days and Professor Chariot had insisted of making her stay put to make her cold pass. Amanda saw her fainting herself but that was about it since Akko was quickly hoisted back to their dorm. Diana would visit her probably the day after tomorrow’s festival (as she tried to promise herself every day but at some point her schedule always,  _ always _ got changed by some inconvenience that  _ she _ needs to solve). 

The heiress hoped to at least see a glimpse of her since the night they encountered. Not a detail did she forget that night, but without the brunette’s presence to assure her that it wasn’t a dream, the alpha was left apprehensive about her relationship with her.

And the thing is, this shouldn’t be what the prefect chief of Luna Nova should be thinking about when the day of Samhain was hours away and people all around her were buzzing about it. 

Festive lights and pumpkin decorations were scattered in the cafeteria, highlighting the theme of the celebration. The soft yellow glows from faeries summoned by the beautification team hovered over the corridors sweetly, illuminating in the darkness. The food prepared by the kitchen staff stayed true to tradition, making tonight’s food a bit more glamorous than potatoes. And while the usual tradition calls for beer, since the students are underaged, the staff instead prepared a barrel of apple cider and cheap sparkling wine. Which was quickly being approached by a suspicious-looking redhead.

Diana grabs a hold of Amanda’s back when she spots the green team leader trying to spike the barrel. “And what do you think  _ you’re _ doing, O’Neill?”

“Aw, loosen up, Cav! Tomorrow’s the Samhain Festival, girl’s gotta get her fun some way or another,” Amanda whines, wisely retracting her hand that held the drug. Diana sees this and snatches the packet away from her.

“By ‘fun’, you mean trying to spike our drinks with,” Diana holds the packet up to her nose and sniffs. She cringes as she recognizes the scent inside it. “Laxatives? Really? Out of all pranks you’ve pulled off, this is by far the least impeccable, Amanda.”

Said redhead starts sweating. “Damn, okay,” Amanda whispers before shrugging off the heiress’s hold on her uniform. She caves as she held her arms up saying, “Fine, fine, fine, I won’t touch the drinks,” and walks off.

Diana eyes the redhead’s retreating as Barbara says, “Thank the Nines you noticed her, Diana. Otherwise, my stomach couldn’t have handled it.”

“Yes, but follow Amanda just in case, Barbara,” the blue team alpha requests. “I’m going to-- to--”

Diana suddenly froze on the spot, eyes widening again as a familiar scent comes through her nostrils, numbing her brain and losing the breath in her lungs. It was deja vu. Through the other scents of the students, the scent she’s come to get out of her head in the past week comes back like a beacon among the sea of blank, tunneling Diana’s focus to it alone.

It was mild, almost diluted by the other scents, but Diana knew; it’s back. Once again, after a week of disappearance, coming right at her unguarded. No, not even that, she was vigilant enough to catch Amanda in her schemes, and yet it still appeared like a blind right hook to the heiress’s cheek. 

Barbara tilts her head as her leader turned still. “Diana?”

“I’m going to check the hallways. To see if anybody is ruining the decorations. I’ll leave the rest here to you and Hannah.” Diana easily says, schooling her face into one of composure so nobody would notice, too bothered by the scent wrapping itself around her mind. She was gone before her teammate could say anything. 

She pushes through the students patting themselves in the back for completing their assignments on time, but the heiress could care less. From the heavy door comes another team, stepping out the same time they came in. Diana briefly registers the heavy scent of apples before her nose tunnels down to muted strawberries and sakura. 

Back inside the mess hall, Amanda’s nose twitches when she smells  _ something _ . It was familiar, unnervingly so. Something pulls at her gut, yelling at her to follow it. Sitting right up, the green team alpha squares her shoulders, scrunching her nose in concentration as she tries to pick up the scent amongst others.

Sweet, though it was unlike Jasminka’s scent derived from pastries and food. Potent, though not as harrowing as Constanze’s stench of oil and metal. Then it hits Amanda: an  _ omega _ was here. And it wasn’t one with a mate.

Green eyes follow across the massive hall of students, trying to pinpoint to whom it exactly belonged, then her brain comes to conclude to a short redhead sandwiched between two alphas. Amanda squints at them, unsure if the scent came from her, then Rashmi catches her staring.

The pale-green team alpha glares at her, face pinching in annoyance, covering the omega with her arm. Then Sola notices the scent. She blanches, pulling her drink away from her mouth as her eyes roam around, trying to find the source of the scent. “Ra-Rajani--”

“Yeah,” Her other teammate alpha nods. She takes a deep breath, trying to sniff the strange scent out.  _ There! _ Her brown eyes dilate as she turns her head in the direction of the windows, where the New Moon tower was. 

The new scent caused a ripple of reactions from alphas across the halls. Amanda stands up first, the chair screeching back with the utensils clattering on the table loudly. She starts to walk away when she finally picks up the scent, attention undivided. 

Just when she was about to jump out of the window, Barbara whips out her wand and pulls out a spell to reel the alpha back. Amanda’s wrists were suddenly caught by pulses of magic and locked together on her sides, making her trip and land her jaw on the floor, the impact causing her to bite her tongue. “OW! What the hell!?”

“Amanda, what on earth are you doing!?” The dark-haired beta stands over her, but Amanda doesn’t give a flying fuck what this closeted nerd has to say because  _ the scent just spiked and she sees another alpha looking over in its direction, _ **_hell no, it’s miNE--_ **

“HEY!” She screams at the lime-haired alpha whose eyes were wide with wonder, ignoring the beta who had her. “Don’t you fucking dare breathe--” She forces herself up in a crouch and found that students were standing in a circle around her. Barbara flicks her wand the green team alpha was down again, squirming and murmuring profanities at the ground. 

Jasminka quickly runs over, worry drawn all over her face as she looks at her teammate. Constanze was right behind. “Amanda, what’s going on? Is something bothering you?”

“Nothing is! This nerd just came at me out of the blue!” She motions to Barbara, whose face pinched at the name. “Let me go! I didn’t do anything!”

Chloe watches the whole thing from the door, teachers already coming over to the alpha and beta fighting over what Amanda did or didn’t do. Yet again the brute was causing trouble. Her face falls into a disgusted scowl at the unsightly scene of the alpha being held down, by a beta no less. Granted, the said beta was one of Diana’s teammates but still, it was pathetic. 

Her brooding thoughts were cut-off, however, when her tall teammate nudges her arm. “Hey,” Sarah whispers, eyes wide and pupils shrinking. “Do you smell that?”

Chloe raises a brow at her.  _ Smell what? _ Then she gets it. Something was in the air, something sweet and feminine, piquing the alpha’s curiosity. It took her another sniff to recognize it through the scents of the other people in the vicinity. 

Sarah beside her points somewhere in the front. “I think it’s coming from over there.”

The shining topmost floor of the New Moon Tower was being pointed at by the tall alpha and Chloe raises a brow. She was pretty sure it came from behind her, where Diana was… headed to… 

Something starts pulling at the French girl’s gut when the scent of the blue team alpha becomes thick with arousal.

Chloe always had the more superior nose, higher than the average alpha, to the point she can pick up any sort of shift of emotions in them accurately. She could even say she’s higher than Diana in terms of olfactory sense. This in mind, she turns to the direction where the sweet scent was  _ obviously _ emanating, tracking down Diana’s minty scent which seemed to follow the other. 

The dots connect and Chloe’s eyes flash in obscene rage. Anger clouds her mind, hands clenching into tight fists as she realizes the so-called star student of Luna Nova was following a scent. From an  _ omega _ no less. She recognizes it now; it was the same one the damn onion-headed brat released. 

But the scent was new. It wasn’t the same as the lupines or peach the other omegas exuded so there’s only one thing leading to this… Ah, yes. The  _ mysterious omega _ that caused all this trouble in the first place.

“Sarah, Elfriede,” she calls her teammates and they shift their attention to their leader. She was watching something from far away, eyes hidden away by her bangs. “Go find the scent in front of the New Moon Tower. I’m going to fix something.”

“What!? But we were just about to have dinner!” Elfriede’s exclamation was ignored by the alpha as she leaves without another word. “Geez, that girl never catches a break,” She turns to Sarah, who was still transfixed by the scent invading her senses. “Anyways, what’s this about a scent? Sarah?”

“It’s somewhere over there, by the New Moon Tower,” Sarah explains before she takes the beta and starts going down the opposite direction of the mess hall, while their leader steeps herself as she follows the heiress quietly. 

The night of supposed celebration for the end of Harvest Season was replaced with indefinite tension as a new scent arises in the midst, breaking out reactions from alpha students across the hall. Alphas left and right starts to turn to each other as the scent becomes wholly known, and soon, eyes were on the three omegas present in the room. Rajani and Rashmi quickly sandwich the omega between them.

In the corner of the room, as the disaster begins to unfold inside, a certain redheaded professor was lurking away to leave.

  
  


***

  
  


Chariot runs the stairs by two, panic driving her senses to pick up her pace because from what she learned back in the mess hall, trouble abounds if she’s not moving as fast as she was right now.  _ Unbelievable _ , Chariot thinks as she hastily opens the red team’s dorm, eyes widening behind her glasses when she saw that the nest was  _ empty _ .

“Oh dear Nines,” she whispers in horror.

“Professor Chariot!” Somebody calls and the redhead turns to see the red team beta standing on the other end of the hallway. 

“Where’s Akko?” Chariot asks once Lotte was close enough, fortunately unfollowed. 

Retrieving her wand, Lotte replies, “We don’t know, but Sucy told me she’s somewhere in the back of the castle. Akko’s scent is getting stronger, professor. We should get to her before anyone else does. Sucy’s by the New Moon Tower making a scent diversion already.”

“So that explains the strong scent by the cafeteria,” While it was very alike Akko’s, creepily so, there was something different in their ranges. Unlike the scent-double’s pseudo attractiveness, the brunette’s true scent always spoke something in them, just as all omegas do, though it takes practice to be able to pick the emotions up. And for Chariot, who was wholly dependent on her nose to catch emotions, knew which one was real. 

_ If there’s a god awake right now, please, please, let my student stay safe, _ Chariot prays before closing the door and the duo runs again, following where the older omega’s nose was taking her.

On the ground floor, the scent of sakura and strawberries were mild yet potent; obvious to anyone, and overbearing to the person with a higher sense of smell.  _ She’s outside the castle! _ Chariot thinks as they were lead to the courtyard, careful not to be spotted by any student but that was stupid because apparently, Akko went out during the time everybody was flocked in the cafeteria.

Should have this been a different situation, Chariot would gently pet her student’s head and compliment her brilliant move, yet for the calling of this one, it was universally stupid. 

The professor’s face falls into a worried frown before the scent around them  _ spikes _ , heavier and thicker with something that made her heart stop.

Chariot winces when she realizes the  _ heat _ pheromones it carried, hot and musky, so enticingly alluring that she could sense how the beta behind her froze in attraction.  _ No. It couldn’t be _ , she thinks, her nose picking up the strong plumes and she runs again, Lotte hot on her heels. 

They went past the labs, already into Luna Nova’s massive fields, and in front of them stood the botanical gardens, a good distance away from the mess hall, and among the scents of vegetation and flowers inside, behind it was a strong scent of an omega.

Chariot and Lotte’s breath comes out shallowly, but relief washed over their hearts when they realize they were the only souls here, save for the one who, judging from the scent, was in pain.

The professor immediately ran to its source, and on the ground, curled into a ball, radiating strong heat pheromones, was Akko, laying on her side. 

“Akko!” Chariot yelps, panic rising when her student didn’t react. The moment she was barely a meter away, the older omega could already feel the warmth emanating from her. She could see the way her torso was expanding, breaths releasing oh so shallowly, and yet the omega didn’t move an inch. 

A magical barrier surrounds them, courtesy of Lotte, and Chariot carefully picks her student up, and she almost recoils when she feels how hot Akko’s skin became. The older omega watches her kin closely; she was screwing her eyes shut, jaw clenching into a grind when she feels a set of arms picking her up, the sweat gathered on her skin making her hair stick. 

_ Oh no _ , Chariot thinks in horror. When she presses a finger on the brunette’s pulse point on her wrist, she could feel the abnormal heartbeats thrumming loudly, blood boiling erratically just underneath it. And if Chariot looks down, she could see the forming pool drenching in Akko’s shorts.  _ No, no, no, no, no... _

“Hot,” Akko whispers hoarsely, curling herself into a ball in Chariot’s arms. Yet, her hand finds her robes and she grips tightly. “Hot, hot, hot…”

“Is she having a heat tremor?” Lotte asks from behind, eyes staring down at their leader who was barely  _ conscious, in pain, in a nightmare, and she didn’t know what to do. _

“No,” Chariot answers quickly. The beta blanches. “This is way worse. Xena calculated that her heat would come first thing tomorrow,” The older omega stands up, her student in her arms. They eye the wand on the ground and Lotte grabs it to hide in her pocket. “But it seems Akko’s magic made it come earlier.”

“She’s having her heat? Right now!?” The beta yelps, horrified when Chariot nods, eyes carefully skimming over Akko’s pained figure. She was conscious, yet what she was probably hearing was delirious to her. 

“We need to take her to her nest before anyone sees her!” Chariot orders. “Lotte put an invisibility and scent barrier spell over us, the strongest one you can cast. We can’t teleport now, otherwise, Akko’s heat hormones will react badly.”

“I’ll do my best!” Lotte replies with an assuring nod, quickly flicking her wand to cast a spell across the professor and her teammate. Like a dew dropping into a lake, Chariot and Akko’s body dissolves into their surroundings, and Lotte almost couldn’t see them if she weren’t focusing on the outline of distortion, hinting at their bodies. She does the same spell to herself.

Once the blonde beta’s body disappeared as well, Chariot looks down at the burning omega in her arms. Though she couldn’t see her clearly, she could feel how hot her body was, unbearable against her. Yet it was probably nothing to the pain Akko was feeling in her body.

“Hang in there, Akko,” she whispers, hands gripping her student tighter. Once the scent-blocking spell was cast, Chariot starts running away from the spot, hearing the following crunches of the beta behind her, the heat of her student a pressuring reminder to get the  _ hell out of here as fast as possible.  _

  
  


***

  
  


_ This time, _ Diana thinks,  _ this time it’s real _ . 

She just knew it was; her inner alpha told her so. While it was accurately the same as the one Sucy made her sniff out a week ago, something twisted in her gut that this time, it was the one from Glastonbury.

The scent was the same, yet different. The one her mind was getting pulled into was alive, and that factor alone starkly contrasted to the one from behind. It buzzed with an unspoken message and Diana was called to answer it. 

The heiress breathes and her eyes flash in curiosity as the scent she was following spikes in receding pulses, stronger than before.

Her body moves without consent and she breaks into a sprint, unaware dark eyes following her keenly as all her attention was taken by the scent that clung to her brain. Even then, who cares? 

Teachers and students were too busy in the cafeteria celebrating for the end of the Harvest season and who gives a damn if the heir of Cavendish estate was currently uncharacteristically running down the hall like a madman? No one, that’s who.

So Diana only keeps on running, hoping then she catches who at the end of the string of pheromones, just who was it that caught her attention so much, just who was it that plagued her mind like this so easily, bending her will like a toothpick? Who, who, who--

She almost trips by the last set of stairs but she, fortunately, caught herself, skidding down the pavement. And her nose was hit by  _ another _ onslaught of pheromones. Diana’s eyes flash under the moonlight, her nose picking up another person in the vicinity. Her alpha raged at the fact that someone was following her, making her turn to the direction where the offending scent came from.

Chloe was standing above the flight of stairs, arms crossed over her chest, face contorting in a sneer as though she was disgusted. The heiress’s eyes widened in surprise at her appearance. “Chloe. Were you following me?”

“So?” The other heiress drawls. “You left your post in the cafeteria, and now O’Neill is on the ground subdued by one of your teammates. But that’s not important,” Chloe’s eyes darken in malice as Diana blanches from getting caught in the act of leaving. “I never took you as a strawberry person, Diana. Seems like you learn a new thing every day.”

Her heart almost stopped. The blue team alpha looks up at the french girl in horror before hiding her facade away by giving an equally unforgiving stare. “It’s a new development. Though I fail to see what’s wrong with it?”

_ Wrong move _ , Diana thinks then when she sees Chloe’s eye ticking in annoyance. “Don’t play dumb, Diana, I know exactly what you’re doing,” She starts stepping down the stairs, each click of her heels against the bricks reverberating against Diana’s eardrums. “I expected a lot more from you, considering you’re holding the title of ‘Top Alpha’ in our batch, yet here you are, succumbing from your title by humoring rumors about lowly omegas,” Then they were in front of each other, blue eyes staring into dark ones. “Tragic, no?”

Diana’s exasperation flares from the look of abhorrence the other alpha were sending her, the smugness in her eyes aggravating her pride. “I’m not humoring rumors, Chloe. I’m merely investigating it, as what a prefect of discipline should do to ensure a calm welcome for tomorrow’s activities.”

“Oh, cut the bullshit!” Chloe suddenly yells, startling the Cavendish heiress. Anger burns behind the french girl’s eyes that stared down at her. “If it were business then your scent would’ve been something else. Yet here it is,  _ provoked _ . Have you lost your sense of dignity,  _ Cavendish _ !?”

Once again, Diana was surprised by her. She always knew Chloe had an accurate sense of smell, considering her family was also descendants of great witches that faced potions, but she even picked up her source emotions.? Diana calms her heart by taking deep breaths, getting her scent to be less discernible for the other alpha. Then she speaks. “It’s not losing face to be able to help a student in need. A student is in trouble, as you can tell from the scent.”

“And what I smell from the scent, it’s an omega,” Chloe spats. “You’re seriously going to help this person who’s causing all this trouble in the first place?”

“I don’t see why not?” 

“Oh my Gods, Cavendish. It’s an  _ omega _ , one that is essentially sabotaging our school by taking all of our student’s attention away from the Samhain Festival, and all you could think of are ways on how to get in her pants!?”

_ Get in her-! _ Diana’s face flushes deeply at the accusation. “I don’t-- I’m not trying to get in her pants!”  _ That’s not really a thought I’ve had before but now that you’ve said it--  _ “That’s a reprehensible accusation--”  _ Did I actually want to? Maybe? If there’s anything she knows is that omegas are generally good-looking-- _ “And there’s no basis to it other than your take on what you  _ think _ you know… or… sense...”

Chloe was looking at her deadpan, unimpressed by the heiress’s sudden rambling, her stare causing Diana to dwindle her words into silence. Should another person be hearing this, they would be in disbelief to see how Diana, a person fit to be a walking dictionary, stumbled on her words. “I can’t believe this,” Chloe whispers, eye twitching. “Luna Nova has really gone to the dogs.” She begins to walk away from Diana, not sparing her another glance. 

The heiress watches her leave before her nose is assaulted with the pungent scent of malice and hate, coming straight from the alpha in front of her. She recoils and cringes at the blistering rage that the other alpha was exuding. “Where are you going?”

“Getting rid of the pest that’s crippling our school, is all,” Chloe says, not even stopping to turn to her. 

The heiress was struck still from the proclamation, slowly digesting what Chloe just said.  _ Getting rid… of the pest? _ Diana’s hand immediately reached her wand, panic rising in her chest when she realized what her words  _ implied _ . She meant the omega!

Before the binding spell could reach her, however, Chloe’s own wand immediately snaps open, intercepting the spell with her own, her moves swift and graceful. The collision made sparks of magic fly before fizzling out. Diana stares down at the other alpha, anger driving her through, unthinking that she just cast a spell against a classmate. Granted it was merely one to bound the other alpha to ground, it was taboo for a chief prefect of discipline to cast a spell on a student out of emotion. Still, Diana’s hand didn’t shake from the cast, her blue eyes watching the other alpha carefully with barely contained rage.

“I don’t like to waste my time, Diana,” Chloe snaps. “If you’re not going to do anything about this omega, then I’ll do it myself.”

Diana’s heart leaped in her throat and her grip. She imagines the other alpha getting to the omega first before her, and knowing her extreme nature about them, nothing good could come out of the french girl’s encounter. So lowly, Diana says, “Chloe, don’t you  _ dare _ .”

They lock each other in a heated staredown, dark eyes staring into blue ones, wands out with magical energy pricking at the tips. The tension was all around them. Then the scent of strawberry spikes drastically. Diana twitches, distracting her away from the alpha. Chloe, seeing an open spot on the Cavendish heiress, was about to strike her with a blunt binding spell before--

“Diana!” Somebody shouts, footsteps echoing in the hallways as the alphas’ attention snaps to its source.

Hannah rounds the corner, briefly pausing at the sight of the two heiresses in front of each other, wands unsheathed from their belts, pointing right at each other. Something was going down before she came in, she knew but that wasn’t about that right now. Hannah faces her teammate, whose eyes were wide from her appearance. “Diana, Professor Finellan wants you back in the cafeteria! There’s a weird scent and we don’t know whose it from!” she exclaims. “Amanda tried to jump out of the window--  _ again _ ! And Rashmi just got slugged by Rina! It’s chaos back there!”

“What?” Diana and Chloe stare at the beta, shock written all over the former's face. Diana glances at the other heiress and to her teammate, unsure which she should deal with first. The hostility in Chloe’s scent was still suggesting the threat to the omega, but the frantic look Hannah was sending her implied the chaos ensuing in the cafeteria.

Before she could think, another set of footsteps rings and Professor Badcock was there, in the flesh, behind Hannah. “Diana, we need help in subduing several students right away. What are you two even doing right now!?”

The professor shoots them a confused look, questioning their wands, and Diana was left with no choice. Leaving Chloe one last glance, Diana’s jaw clenches from the defeat. She lowers her wand first, putting it back in her belt. “We need to go right away,” she says through her facade of composure, following her teammate who quickly retreated to the mess hall, leaving the other heiress standing in the courtyard, unmoving.

Once the trio was gone, Chloe was really alone then, their scents disappearing. It was the perfect time to find the source of this  _ damn _ scent and get it over with, but as she breathes the air, she realizes the scent of the omega disappeared. Gone was the scent of strawberries that pulsed with certain pheromones, and instead in its place was the one back in the cafeteria; a lifeless aroma created from the labs.

Chloe’s grip on her wand tightens at the loss. Darn Cavendish was always wasting her time… she couldn’t be even allowed to track the pest. Her fangs bare in annoyance before she realizes it was also a waste of time to steep in her own anger. The alpha takes several deep breaths to calm herself. It’s gone, there’s no changing that. 

But what worth is Chloe, if not one who knows how to track it down again? It’s only a matter of time before it comes back...

  
  


***

  
  


“Ughh… where even is it, Sarah!?” Elfriede snaps, feet sore from walking from the mess hall to the New Moon Tower. Her tall teammate still had her nose in the air, trying to pinpoint exactly where the scent was.

“There!” Sarah points into the woods. Elfriede would’ve thought her alpha teammate was hopeless before said alpha teammate literally jumped into the darkness, unkind to the grace she’s supposed to portray. 

“Wait-- Sarah! Where are you going?” she yelps, skipping over to the spot where Sarah disappeared to and found her digging over a bunch of leaves, dead twigs flying all around her.  _ Just like a dog. _ “The hell are you doing over there!?”

The tall alpha ignores her and continues digging through the thing until she stops, spotting the cloth hidden underneath all of the dirt and clumps of plants. Once she uncovered the thing, the scent of strawberries and sakura fully assaulted her nose, making her recoil but she stayed put. “Elfriede, I think I got it!”

“Got what!?”

Sarah stands, picking the cloth up and walking over to her teammate. She sticks the soiled cloth to her face, to which Elfriede flinches away. “I think this is the source of the scent. C’mon, smell it! It doesn’t smell like deer turd, I swear.”

Elfriede raises an apprehensive brow at her teammate, the serious look on her face not really convincing her to sniff a rag from what she dug out of.  _ Ugh, alphas and their sense of smell _ , the beta thinks before putting her nose near enough to sniff. When she did, she smelled… nothing.  _ Sarah’s lost it. _ Elfriede pulls back to look at her face and deadpans, “It smells like a rag.”

“What!?” Sarah exclaims in disbelief, bringing the cloth back to her face to sniff it. And Elfriede was right; it smelled like a rag, instead of strawberries and sakura. “Oh my God. B-But it smelled just like the scent a while ago!”

_ Speaking of which, _ Elfriede thinks, jutting her nose in the air to search for it. Coincidentally, the scent had disappeared as well.  _ What the? _

“I swear! The source of the scent was this! It was so strong when I found it!” The tall alpha wails, appalled at the fact that she was betrayed by her nose. 

“Yeah, yeah, but look,” The beta slaps her arm, getting her attention away from the rag in her hand. “The scent’s gone now. Maybe the person got away?”

They glance at each, eyes wide in curiosity before looking down to the ruined shirt, which presumably was the source of the scent. By the time Sarah stepped out with that thing, the scent was gone. Sarah was rarely wrong about her olfactory sense; she knew what she sniffed back in the forest, her instinct couldn’t have failed her… did it? They need a third person. 

She begins to walk away, the shirt clutched in her hand. Elfriede stares after her. “C’mon, let’s bring this back to a professor. If I can’t track it down, maybe they can.”

  
  


***

  
  


Sucy made sure they won’t be able to track it down. While it took her several tries to perfect the scent-double, after a bit of researching on cancellation magic, she managed to change the potion’s nature into a volatile one; when being touched again after some time it’s been poured, the scent would recede and melt off, effectively shutting out the perfume. The robes she used was one everybody would have in their Luna Nova uniform closet, and Sucy’s own scent was probably drowned out by her potion. 

Her diversion was impeccable. And the results it came satisfied her to the brim. Seeing Rashmi getting slugged was new; rarely did the alpha engage in any sort of spat. Usually, it was Rina and Amanda who butted heads. But the latter was bound on a chair after attempting to bite off Barbara’s hand and jumping out of the window. Professor Finellan stood over her, glaring, before pulling her back into her office. The three omegas present were quickly escorted away, angering their alpha mates, but once Diana came back with Professor Badcock and Hannah, they were promptly restrained. In the presence of the top alpha of the school, they bowed their heads, though the frustration in their faces didn’t melt off from being separated by their mates.

And it seems Diana was also seething with frustration. Her actions were stiff and robotic, done out of pure duty. Though others couldn’t see it at first glance, Sucy knew she was annoyed, because those eyes were ice-cold around anyone.  _ Good, _ Sucy thinks to herself, smirking before walking away to her dorm, carrying another set of pudding for Akko. 

Her trip to the dorm was quick, not trying to garner any attention to herself because hey,  _ she was just taking care of their sick teammate. _ Nothing about what she did stray from that.

Her thoughts were further supported when she opens the doors of their dorm and finds Professor Chariot and Lotte surrounding the nest on the side of the room, the assaulting pheromones,  _ heat _ pheromones, almost making her alpha recoil. She steps into the room and bangs the door shut, red eyes staring into the four others in uncharacteristic shock. 

“Is she in  _ fucking heat _ ?”

  
  


***

  
  


After calming Sucy down and giving her a short rundown of what happened to an Akko (who was currently just sleeping, thank fuck), the remaining red team members were currently huddled in Akko’s massive nest, which consisted of pillows and mattresses piled together and glued by Lotte’s magic. A lot of their clothes were strewn over Akko, who was twitching in her sleep but otherwise, was unconscious. Her hot pheromones were not as powerful as the one when they found her outside, but it was still there, continuously gushing. It was fortunate that the beta and alpha of the group was used to her scent, otherwise, they would’ve been cringing. Chariot was unaffected, considering how she was an omega herself, though she stays, concerned by her student’s well-being and sudden fall into an unprecedented heat pattern.

“What on earth were you thinking, dear...” Chariot murmurs, gently swiping a hand across her student’s face. Her skin felt hot, hotter than what a normal fever should be, but then again, she was in heat. Akko was in her most vulnerable state, seeing as she was fully clutched by the estrous cycle of her body, thus losing her ability to rationalize things. She could lay there for an entire day just sweating off despite the cool temperature because she wasn’t in the proper mind to. The only thing that could calm her is the scent of her teammates, and if they weren’t lucky that she fell asleep, she would be currently  _ humping something  _ to get her to release.

Fortunately, _ fortunately,  _ her teammates were here, cooperative and helpful. And she was buried deep in their scents and sheets she’s been softening the previous days. And once Akko wakes up, her meal would be there. Of course, it would take some convincing to actually feed her, considering how an omega’s mind first thought would be ways of trying to get off, but if she’s cuddled for a bit before being fed, then she would be fine (not fine actually, the first thing she would probably do to a plate is to throw it away and try to suffocate in her nest because food just doesn’t smell right with a sensitive nose run by estrogen hormones).

Dr. Xena already gave Lotte and Sucy the do’s and the don'ts around omega; of course, that was unnecessary since one of them grew up with omega siblings, but it was nice to be reminded every once and a while about their nature, especially since the omega they’re handling rarely showed off her omega traits, having spent a year and a half acting like a beta.

Before Chariot knew, it was already a quarter to Nine O’clock. “I should be going now,” Chariot announces, getting up and Lotte looks up from beside Akko, Sucy unmoving from her spot on the nest. “Guard her until morning, alright? Don’t let  _ anyone _ get near the door. Please.”

Lotte nods in earnest, face holding nothing but determination. “We will, Professor. We won’t let anyone touch her.”

Chariot sighs, dreaded for the day coming tomorrow. They’ve set up shifts already, of course, when the duo would be busy for their roles in the Samhain Festival, Chariot would come and watch over the omega in their stead. They could only hope Akko was on the same page as them. “I trust you two. Get some rest until then, okay?”

Of course, with the coming night, that was going to be impossible. 

  
  


***

  
  


It was 2:33 in the morning when Lotte was roused from her sleep by a sudden movement to her left. 

Akko was panting underneath all the clothes strewn over her figure, her skin turning even  _ redder _ than before. Sweat dripped down her chin, her legs closing, and Lotte could almost  _ smell _ the arousal gathering between them. The beta’s throat becomes dryer than a dessert. She might as well have  _ sandpaper _ for a tongue. 

The omega digs herself further into her pillow, hair sticking to her slender neck and she whimpers, painfully yet erotically. Heat pheromones pulsed around her, so strong and thick it would make anybody feel weak in the knees. 

Lotte, however, was just not  _ anybody _ , as people claim her to be. She is Akko's friend and teammate; damn the people who say otherwise. So she shuffles over to the brunette and encloses her arms around her figure, who immediately stiffens at the contact. The beta places a calming hand over her head and stroked through her hair, eliciting a whine from the omega who melted on her spot. 

“That’s it, Akko,” she whispers into her head, who whines before continuing to move again. Her legs press together, and _ Lord give her strength, _ Lotte  _ knows _ her teammate has a nice body but from this angle, it’s another thing altogether.  _ Be still my heart, _ Lotte thinks, trying to not get too randy over her teammate. She pats her again, aiming to calm her before she feels Akko’s warm arm pushing her away.

“Mmmhh…” The omega moans, eyes screwed shut in pain, grimacing before she continues to rub her legs together  _ again _ . 

Before Lotte could think of another solution on how to calm the omega, she felt another movement on the side of the nest. Sucy sits up and moves an arm to the omega. Lotte senses the air shifting as the alpha moves, laying over the brunette and Lotte realizes the new scent of alpha pheromones was meant to calm the brunette. The alpha and beta held their breath as the omega pants between them, but as Sucy continues to rub her arm, her quick breaths eventually steady into leveled ones. Then she was still, body relaxing under the weight of their hold.

Lotte and Sucy share a glance before moving to cover her. They went back to sleep after, clutching tightly onto the burning skin of the omega. Though Lotte has to admit, even this close, with a person in a fever, covered by blankets, it was nice, in some cozy way. It wasn’t ‘hot cocoa in the winter’ kind of cozy but it was something more intimate, like an afterglow of the harsh day, basking in the sunset’s light in a twilight sky. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaand that's a pretty mellow ending, right? But at least Akko's in safe hands now, always will and always should be... unless?
> 
> Chloe is back! And now steeping with rage-- Diana's gonna get a heads up if she's not careful enough lol, but it adds to the plans i have for the next chapters, hehehe. (rubs hands together like a villain)
> 
> Also, I have a discord server now! Join it if you want to discuss more about LWA Omegaverse with me!
> 
> https://discord.gg/ATWbHfNJ
> 
> But anyway, that should be all about this fic. Leave a kudos if you like it, and if there's something you want to tell me about this chapter, you can leave a critique or comment down or you can tell me in my discord server! Until the next chapter~


	11. Samhain Festival

Festivities of Samhain were everywhere. Jack o’lanterns were placed in corners of the classrooms, illuminating lanterns were held up in posts, temporary drapings hanging by the towers, while the statues were all decorated with other Halloween ornaments. Booths set up and opened by alumni witches were all over the courtyard, visitors of magic walking by and seeing all the goodies presented by students. 

This year’s festival was much more vibrant in comparison to last year, thanks to the newfound funding provided by sponsors that availed this, and the growing number of visiting witches that studied under the school flared the student’s need to show how they, the next generation of witches, were no slobs in their work. Of course, with so much happening comes its own set responsibilities thrust into students and professors, especially to the student council of discipline. 

One chairman was assigned to each year for the work to be divided equally, but even then, the two other chairmen couldn’t hold a candle to the efficiency the Cavendish heiress was performing. 

“Team orange, ready the lights in the western building! Team lime yellow, team teal, light your fireworks on my command!” Diana says in an earpiece as she flies overhead of the field, basking in the sunset’s color. Twilight was beginning to set. Hannah and Barbara were all over the field, barking orders to students who weren’t in their posts, one or the other carefully waiting for her green light. 

As Wangari was on the other side introducing the honored guests of the Samhain Festival, witches cheered loudly, almost deafening. Diana waits until the star of Arcturus becomes clear. “Lights!” 

The northern building ignites into beautiful illuminations, the setting darkness allowing the glows of yellow to be present.

The blue team alpha snaps her wand up and shows a blinking green light, which immediately gets caught by Hannah, and she whistles towards the lime yellow team, Henrietta briefly scrambling before standing in place. Once the signal was given, they pulled their wands in sync, simultaneously opening fire to the sky, and jets of magic shoot out. They reached high above before exploding into colors and crowd ooh’s at the display.

“Aviators!”

Diana angles her wand a bit to the side, a signal to the senior aviator flyers to begin their performance. Jet trails left the brush of their brooms, putting out what they’ve been flying for in the previous weeks as patterns began painting the sky. First, the standard symbol of Luna Nova. When the judges thought that would’ve been all, several more aviators appeared and left more patterns behind, this time in different colors; the trails were left in gold, indigo, and white. Once the patterns were drawn out, the aviators circled together and spun, twisting the trails before disappearing into the sky. 

“And now, we have an opening statement from our first year Samhain Festival chair, Miss Isabella Goldstein!”

A young witch one year under Diana comes to the stage. After a hefty but short speech, the girl then raises her right hand. “As chairwoman of the first years, I hereby declare the opening of Luna Nova’s Samhain Festival!”

The heiress nods in satisfaction. “Fireworks!” Diana angles her blinking wand again, and Barbara mimics it to the teal team below, who sets up their pose and thrust their wands into the air. Team lime-yellow follows, and grander fireworks explode in the air. They were bigger, with many more complex designs adding to them than simple blooms of sparks. Aided by team violet who stood behind the stage, the explosion of magic was manipulated, making the sparks move in tandem. The fireworks gave the illusion of actual movements before eventually fizzling out.

It was beautiful. Even the judges were impressed. The crowd oohed and aahed at the magnificent display of lights before the castle’s windows began to glow a brilliant gold, the darkness equally timed with everything going on. 

Despite yesterday’s errors of a sudden scent invading them, after an hour of research to a cloth Sarah and Elfried found and interrogating those who made a fuss in the cafeteria, the Headmaster eventually dropped the case and told the students to rest well for the festival. Diana was almost prepared for trouble after yesterday’s spat, but the whole day had gone smoother than she expected. Students remembered their posts, and those who threw punches worked with those who caught them, which was relieving. 

The heiress flew overhead of the field and bleachers, attention fully onto the setting. But despite the occurring event and the responsibility placed on her, the nagging part behind her head reminded her of the imminent threat left by a certain French heiress. 

_ “If you’re not going to do anything about this omega, then I’ll do it myself.” _

Diana’s grip on her broom tightens. While she saw Chloe and her teammates in their posts doing their jobs, her presence still irks the heiress to some degree. The girl had a flare for dramatics, she knew, and along with her nature of sticking to her word, but Chloe seems tame for today, despite such a proclamation. 

The De Louvre family was a line of alpha-extremists, which had a good string of family members that took processes of torture to another level. There was even a rumor that dates back a hundred years ago on how they bought and used omega slaves as subjects for torture devices. Diana wasn’t one to pigeonhole people but with how aggressive Chloe talked about the omega yesterday, she spared a hefty amount of her attention for any signs of the French girl’s schemes. 

The festival processed smoothly. Visiting witches looked over to the booths set up by the business committee, the decorations being admired idly as soft glows of the lanterns illuminated the courtyard. It was probably this year alone, but the committee decided to spend a free hour for the guests to look around the school, and when it was time to go back and see the talent shows, they would signal it with the large school bell.

The food prepared by the light aqua team and faeries was no short of delectable. Sandwich booths, candy stores, pie booths, even a small jack o'lantern carving game was set up. Witches who weren’t afraid of getting pumpkin innards on their robes slashed in hollow gourds to make intricate faces. Students left and right all had smiles on their faces.

Barbara and Hannah were in the pie booth, gushing on the slices they bought. Diana, however, is on the side, arms crossing over her chest as she watches the students pass by. Though the scents of the visiting alumni were strong, the heiress was still alert for any scent of apples and cinnamon, as well as strawberries and sakura. 

“Miss Cavendish!” Someone suddenly calls and Diana looks over behind her. The girl who gave this year’s opening speech approaches her, carrying a drink of what looked like pumpkin spice latte. “Aren’t you going to celebrate too? You worked so hard for this festival.”

“I’m okay, Miss Isabella,” Diana waves a dismissing hand towards her fellow chairman. “I may have gone overboard celebrating last year. This year, I will be lax.” That’s the closest thing she said today in truth. Hannah and Barbara were still stuffing themselves in pie beside her.

Isabella tilts her head in question before they hear the ring of the bell from above them. They see the tower reverberate with its massive bell, a goblin faerie pulling the rope as Wangari’s voice booms across the court for them to go back to the field for the following talent show. 

  
  


***

  
  


Through the red team’s window, Lotte and Sucy could already hear the bell that signals the coming of the talent show. They look up from where they napped on the nest, already in their prepared robes, but somehow, the omega just got them to stick for a little while longer. 

The whole day was harsh, though not as harsh as they expected it to be. After Akko’s little development last night, the only thing she did since then was twitching in her sleep. She was still buried in her sheets, warming the bed, having only eaten  _ one _ bite of her food before she went back to sleep, passed out. It concerned them seeing how much their teammate was sleeping before Chariot assured them to just let omegas be in their first day of heat. It’s the second day when heat waves would really turn things around. 

Lotte yawns, standing up, feeling refreshed after spending the whole day cuddling with the omega to keep touch-starved self sated. “Sucy,” she calls to the alpha, “Sucy, c’mon we have to get going to the stage.”

A low grumble. Then the alpha moves, slower than her usual sluggishness. As Sucy sits up from her spot on the nest, Lotte tries to smooth out the lines that wrinkled from her nap before she feels a warm hand grasp her arm. 

Akko was unexpectedly awake, red eyes blearily looking up at her. Her lips jutted out in a pout, looking up at her like a kicked puppy and Lotte felt something stab in her heart.  _ Ah, so that’s how she convinced us to stay, _ the beta thinks, carefully crouching down to level with the omega. “Akko, we’re going now. Stay here and rest well, okay?” she says, squeezing her warm fingers before Akko throws herself over her. She whines again. “W-We’ll come back! As quick as we can!” Lotte quickly says before the brunette could smother her again. “Professor Chariot is going to watch over you, so you’ll be fine!”

Akko whines but this time the pitch was different. Her voice was more guttural, and Lotte could feel how her torso moved, vibrating within the warm skin. Before the beta could discern what was going, a knock on the door alerted them of the arrival of the only other person allowed inside their dorm.

Professor Chariot comes in with a plate of what looked like pumpkin pie, some fruits, and a pitcher of water. She smiles when she sees the beta and alpha already donning in their costumes. “Ah, you two are in your robes already! Good, good,” She quickly closes the door behind her and the sound of the bell continues to ring. “The talent show is going to begin at any moment now. Both of you don’t get cold feet, do you?”

“Not really,” Sucy murmurs, patting her robes. She wasn’t one to care about the outcome of a contest that didn’t involve mushrooms.

“Um, a little?” Lotte raises a hand, using it to push the omega gently back to her nest, who was focused on the professor.

“Hmm, then I should bless with a little bit of glamour then,” From her pocket, Chariot picks out a small pink pouch. The red team watches the bag as the professor carefully places the pie away, opens it, and gently sprinkles a bit over the beta.

When the strange content lands on the tip of her nose, Lotte’s vision clears for a moment, and then the shaking is gone.  _ Huh. _ “Oh, thank you, Professor Chariot,” the beta nods in gratitude, and once she stands, her nerves are still. The fright of performing in such a large crowd was still there, but it wasn’t as loud as before. The glamour Chariot put over her must’ve been strong.

Chariot smiles, satisfied before she could no longer hear the bell. She pats the younger witch’s back, shooting them looks of encouragement. “Now, I know you two are doing this for Akko’s sake, but remember, a believing heart’s your magic. Do it not only for her but for yourselves, okay? Have fun and don’t do anything too reckless!”

“Who are we? Akko?” Sucy retorts. Lotte, who was smiling from the teacher’s pep talk until now, sends a jab to her ribs. The alpha couldn’t care less. 

“We will, Professor! Thank you so much for taking care of us!” Lotte bows, sending a quick dirty glance at her teammate before hearing the sound of fireworks going off from afar. 

Though the explosions were far, for the omega’s sensitive ears, it might as well have rung right into her ears. “Ah!” Akko yelps, hands flying to her ears as more fireworks flew into the sky, exploding into different lights, the crackling horrid was grating. She lays back down to a whimper, the string of fireworks happening outside pounding to her skull. It freaked her out, how sensitive her hearing became, but nothing came close to the fright enclosing her from the  _ loud _ explosions outside. 

“Oh, dear!” Chariot gasps as Akko curls into a ball in her nest, quickly shutting off the blinds of the windows and putting up another barrier around the dorm. Once the noises of the outside were nothing but muffled sounds, she turns to the red team gathering around their teammate. Worry painted their faces, whispering slow but comforting stuff to the omega, whose shaking started to recede. There wouldn’t have been better teammates for Akko. “Sucy, Lotte,” Chariot calls. “Go to the stage immediately. I’ll take it from here.”

The alpha and beta watch her for a bit, glancing back and forth from each other and to their teammate in heat before they eventually stand to leave. Nodding to the professor, the duo disappear behind the door, their footsteps echoing away in the corridor before it’s silent again, save for the commotion of festivities happening outside the window of the dorm.

Chariot carefully positions herself in her student’s nest, who looks at her from her pillow. “Akko, you food,” Picking up the plate of pumpkin pie, she gives it a gentle scent-blocking spell before taking a piece and offering it to the younger omega. Chariot understands how the food was a hit or miss in times of heat; the scent and taste buds were heightened during this, and it was only the fourth or fifth days were omegas able to eat on their own. 

Akko lifts herself off, sniffing the pie before she opens her mouth to take it. Chariot watches her carefully, unsure what her reaction was going to be. Then the brunette cringes, stiffing obviously in disdain. Chariot holds her breath, preparing herself to see her student coughing out the pie before she sees how tight she held her blanket. Tears prick the edges of Akko’s eyes then her throat moves. 

She ate it. She actually ate it.  _ Oh god, I was prepared for a meltdown, _ Chariot releases the breath she held, eyes watching her student contort into one of disgust before diving back into her nest. 

The older omega chuckles, patting her back. “C’mon, it’s not that bad, Akko,” She gently runs a hand through her locks of brown hair before Akko slaps her hand away and jumps to the other side of the nest. Chariot was dumbstruck by the action before she saw Akko gathering a bunch of pillows on the other side. Then she starts scenting them, which wasn’t out of the odds for an omega in, but when Chariot inhales again, she realizes the different ranges from the scent before and the scent Akko was exuding now.

It smelled so heavy that Chariot was sure it would linger for a long time. Chariot blanches when Akko starts going for Sucy’s spot in the room and takes the pillow to scent it.

_ Oh Nines, what is she doing?! _ Chariot began to internally scream because this meant two things; Akko was not trying to call back her teammates or… she was setting up spots to mate. An omega’s pheromones during heat primarily hold a signal for alphas to breed with them, especially in the places where the omega wishes to breed. And in the dorm…

Chariot would’ve burst her student’s eardrums if she didn’t have a sober mind right now. The professor quickly went to work pulling Akko off of her teammate’s part of the dorm. Fortunately, she didn’t scent it that much but still-- It was so impossibly  _ strong. _

Sweet Jennifer, it’s definitely meant for attracting potential mates. Chariot needs to think of something to make her hold it in but what, what, what,--

“Akko,” she whispers to the omega who immediately notices her posture. Eyes widening, Akko starts to scramble away from the professor, but that was proven futile when her ankle was suddenly snared by a lock of magic. “Akko, stay!” Chariot exclaims, almost getting kicked in the face as the brunette flails around, making desperate and incomprehensible sounds, still grabbing onto her alpha teammate’s pillow. 

When Akko successfully kicks the wand from Chariot’s hand, the lock around her ankle disappears and she’s free. However, the extra hand of the professor was proven to be more dangerous than the wand. The woman was strong, unfairly so that when she grips her calves instead, Akko gets pulled back like she was a sack of potatoes just as easily.

“Akko! No! Don’t scent your teammate’s pillow like that!” Chariot exclaims, careful not to put too much pressure to bruise her student’s skin, as she would probably bleed a lot from the simplest cuts, but it was hard when her foot kept flailing around. When Akko was near enough, Chariot immediately took the pillow away, but Akko was relentless with her grip.

One scratch at her temple later, Chariot finally had the omega successfully constrained the omega from scenting the whole dorm with her enticing pheromones. Judging by how she was pointedly glaring, Chariot concludes that the omega was pissed she couldn’t let out a breeding signal for all alphas out there. So after trying to get out of the pillow fort (read; prison), the younger omega was left to glare at her teacher from the depths of her blankets that were wrapped around her figure tightly by magic. Of course, not as tight that it would suffocate her (by the Nines, that would kill her!) but enough to get restrained from staining any more of her scent anywhere. 

“I’m so sorry, Akko,” The professor whispers, attempting to reconcile with her student after such a brutal dress-down whilst nursing the scratch Akko gave her when she pressed a  _ bit too hard _ on the younger omega’s back. 

When Akko still pointedly glares at her, Chariot blanches once again, knowing she screwed up by stopping the omega’s natural instinct of finding a mate but it might as well be an omega doomsday if she lets the omega do whatever she wants in her dorm.  _ What should I do? I can’t take care of her if she keeps her distance from me, _ Chariot thinks before an idea struck her.

She walks over to the dresser she and Lotte set up days before with any extra sheets Akko might want to use in case it gets a little too cold in her nest. Digging down the plain blankets, she finally sees it and pulls it out of its casing. 

It was a soft, pink striped quilt, one made with strong and lasting cotton fibers, a special kind of blanket made essentially for omegas to scent and lay around in their nest. Chariot figured she didn’t need such a blanket, considering it was the type where scents would last a long time, but she bought it just in case there was a meltdown happening. The professor pats herself in the back for being well-prepared this time. 

Chariot shows the blanket to the hissing brunette, laying it out before her by the edge of the nest. “Come on, Akko,” she pats her lap where it was covered by the blanket. “Let me make it up to you by combing your hair.”

The redhead waits for a reaction for a few moments, and fortunately, Akko’s shoulders became lax and her angry stare wasn’t as poisonous anymore. The scent of anger was still there but Chariot could cope. The older omega beckons the younger one to her arms, kneeling by the edge of the nest, and slowly, Akko looks up from her mess of pillows and sheets meant to encase her. Once Chariot dispels the magic constraining her, her hissing stops. Bright red eyes gives Chariot a once-over, and when she confirms the older omega wasn’t going to dress her down again, Akko crawls to her embrace, letting her overheating body fall into the Frenchwoman. When Akko’s skin makes contact with the velvety blanket, her body melts into it and starts to scent the thing. Chariot sighs in relief when the scent became normal, not laced with sex pheromones meant to attract potential mates; it was the light kind, one where the omega was feeling comfortable around.

_ That was easy, _ Chariot thinks, having thought she had to offer food to get her to trust her. Ironically, that would’ve been better since it would take down two birds with one stone but then Akko purrs so comfortably on her lap that Chariot figures to just leave her be for a bit. That’s what most omegas should be doing in their nest anyhow, just playing with whatever trinkets they have if their hormones aren’t driving them to breed with the closest person they’re compatible with. 

The professor cringes at the thought. Thank the Nines that her student was just lying around in her nest rather than doing ‘it’. While it wasn’t strange that omegas wouldn’t be showing signs of sexual drive when in heat, from what she smells in the room Akko has yet to actually do it. There were signs, yes, but by the time a day would pass, omegas would already be sexually inclined to hump something.  _ She did sleep a lot today, _ Chariot thinks as she runs a hand through her student’s chocolate locks, getting out the knots before taking a brush and brushing it out as gently as she could. 

It was silent for a few moments and before Chariot knew it, Akko was asleep on her lap again, breath going out in even but hot puffs. Her skin was still feverish, but as she slept it off, it wasn’t as hot as when they first found her behind the gardens. 

While the fiasco yesterday heightened their risks of alphas hunting down Akko, but so far, nothing seems odd (from what Chariot gathered outside anyway). If it continues like this peacefully, then Akko’s heat would come and go, and they can all go on like nothing happened. 

Chariot spoke too soon, however, when she suddenly felt her orb move in her pocket. Flinching, she puts the younger back to her nest, careful not to wake her up, and takes the message. From the delicate magical glass, she sees Professor Finellan, grayish eyes quickly darkening in anger.

Oh no.

“Professor Du Nord!” The old crone yells at her face, which Chariot quickly covers the orb with her robes. Fortunately, Akko didn’t budge. “Where are you right now!? The headmistress is already asking where you are!”

“W-What?” Chariot stammers, flabbergasted. Didn’t she already ask Holbrooke that she was off for the night? “B-But she’s already--”

The explosion of fireworks on the outside cut her off, her sentence dying in her throat before it could get out as Professor Finellan looks away to see something for a second before looking back at her. “Anyways, Professor Du Nord, just come here as quickly as possible. The headmistress is asking for your presence.”

Then the orbs became dull again, the image of the older professor disappearing as Chariot was left standing with wide-eyes. Ohhhh no. Chariot wants to scream. 

_ What should I do, what should I do, what should I do?  _ Chariot thinks, hands flying to her temples as she tries to think up ideas to convince the other professor to let her off. But then it was Finellan; it would take a dragon’s head or a stopped missile to get her to change her mind about anything. But she can’t just leave her student on her own! The last time Akko was in the dorm by herself, she was almost found out and Chariot will absolutely not have a repeat of that, in the time of Samhain of all nights. 

The Frenchwoman kept glancing back and forth from her orb to her student. She was still sleeping, barely twitching a finger or so. She opens a crack on the door; the dorm is dead of anybody. She was safe. Chariot begins to cover Akko with her teammate’s clothes and the special blanket, readying a cup of water next to her head in case she gets thirsty later on. Next Chariot used a temperature spell to accommodate her student later on to avoid any excessive sweating.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can, Akko,” She whispers in a promise, wiping away the brown bangs from her eyes before she silently walks out of the room, locking the door in place before she starts going down to the field. “I’ll be back,” Chariot whispers as she goes down a staircase leading to where the stages were set-up. “So please, don’t do anything reckless!”

  
  


***

From the stage erupts a mass of black smoke before it’s blown away by the students dancing an ancient dark dance. Underneath them were glowing ancient symbols drawn by chalk. Their arms moved along to the movement of the characters and as dozens of eyes watched over them. Beside the stage, a team of students played several drums and flute on the beat with the performance. 

When the dancers make one last pose, the circle underneath them starts to glow brightly, the characters standing above their heads in tandem to their movements, the orchestra making prolonging the next note and the dance is over.

As the glowing circle continues to shine, and once they stand up, it dims into a duller color before fading away and leaving a prickly sensation in the air. The sudden shift of temperature stunned the students, but once one of the dancers canceled out the spell, it was gone. The audience cheers, the older guests witches even sparing a few claps. The dancers bow.

“What a bone-chilling performance!” Wangari’s voice spoke through the speakers. “And that was the dark blue team and their dark ancient ritual dances! Up next is the ever anticipated magical summoning from the team that burned the stage last year! Give it up for the blue team, folks!”

The audience cheers again, louder this time as Diana and her teammates come to the stage wearing dark cloaks to hide, holding the same regal elegance they held anywhere.

Lotte watches it all from the curtain behind the stage before she steps back into the waiting tent where Sucy was playing with a mushroom. She walks in circles in front of her teammate. “We’re going to be next after Diana’s performance, Sucy!”

“Yeah, up next would be the summoning thing,” Sucy replies flatly. “Sit down, Lotte, you’re gonna get dizzy walking around like that.”

Lotte does so, her feet tapping underneath the chair next to Sucy as she fiddles with her wand in one hand. She flinches when she hears a loud sound of flame setting alight, watching how the stage lights in a yellow tint before it stays that way for a while. Then a loud caw erupts from the stage, following it the deafening beats of wings flapping. The audience gasps and cheers at the display. 

“Oh Nines,” Lotte gulps. “How can we top  _ that _ ?”

“We won’t,” Sucy says unhelpfully, to which Lotte sends an exasperated glare at her. Before they knew it, the summoning performance was already done and Wangari was saying the blue team’s names on the mic. They stand up and start heading up the stairs, meeting Diana there.

The Cavendish heiress graces them with a smile. “Good luck you two.”

Sucy ignores her but Lotte, ever the kind soul, bows to the blue team alpha. “Thanks, Diana. You guys were amazing up there.”

The blue team could barely shrug before Wangari was yelling into the mic again. The red team proceeds to the stage.

“--But unfortunately, Akko Kagari, the leader of the team infamous red team, couldn’t join us tonight for having a case of fever. But that doesn’t mean her teammates aren’t any less amazing to watch! Let’s give it up for the faerie witch, Lotte Jansson, and the creepy but genius alchemist, Sucy Manbavaran!”

  
  


***

  
  


From the corner of her vision, Diana could see the flash of red hair coming out of the pathways of the castle and into the field. Professor Chariot moves past the audience and makes her way to where Headmistress Holbrooke was, speaking quietly in fast tones.

Diana wonders what they were talking about before she looks up and sees Lotte pulling out fire and wind spells. The heiress wonders what she was doing before Lotte catches the elements with a paleis capama spell and she gasps.  _ That’s Akko’s spell from that night, _ she thinks, her eyes widening before Lotte continues the rest of the spell. The crowd ooh’s at the display before the cluster of bubbles explodes into glamour; much more refined and less chaotic than what Diana witnessed back when she was with Akko.

As the audience gapes at the display of glamour, they fail to see the rest of the setup the red team was doing, particularly the mushrooms Sucy was throwing out. And through the fog of stars came tall towers of mushrooms carrying faeries who were all dancing around cutely.

Diana’s eyes widened at the display as the crowd cheered, her blue eyes visibly shining from the pure joy that the performance was radiating. Even the guests were impressed. It was obvious that Professor Chariot had some sort of coaching into this but there was something else from the energy, something warmer, more familiar to Diana. 

Before she could watch anymore on the red team’s performance, however, she felt Hannah step next to her saying, “Diana, we should change back to our uniforms now.”

Disappointedly, she breaks her gaze away and leaves the tent. “Okay. Where’s Barbara?”

Hannah tells her she was already getting their robes, but as the blue team alpha waits behind the tents, she briefly looks around, giving one last scan for any signs of a certain dark-eyed alpha. 

Chloe was neither in the bleachers nor backstage. She probably wasn’t even around the field at all.

Diana’s eyes darken in suspicion. Sarah and Elfriede were there in one of the bleachers, yet there was no sign of Chloe. Her jaw tightens, mind briefly flashing back to the look of disgust and anger written on the other heiress’s face before Diana focuses back to her other teammate coming in with their uniforms, and they quickly switch back. 

But as she exits the tents, however, something starts pulling at her gut. Diana’s eyes widen as her alpha screams alarms at her, warning her that something, something is going on.

Her senses kickstart into overdrive, trying to figure out what was getting her to feel this way but she couldn’t pick up anything out of the normal amid the festival. Her stomach twists, unknown fear instilling her heart before something, something made her look over to the castle.

Despite not seeing anything going on within those walls, the blue team alpha just knew there was something wrong.

  
  


***

  
  


“--And if you’re able, just stake out around the omegas. List down any alphas noticing them, write down what they’re doing if you can,” The headmaster tells her. Chariot purses her lips as she looks down on the notepad and pen in her hands, briefly wondering if she should ditch this task before remembering that the one who assigned this to her was the headmistress. If she openly defies her with the other alumni witches around, well, that wouldn’t be the worst decision she made in her life.

The way the redhead contorts her expression into one of confusion and annoyance is not gone to the old witch. She gave her an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry for ruining your evening plans, Professor Du Nord, but didn’t we already agree a week ago about this?”

Chariot sighs, trying hard not to facepalm right there. She was so caught with preparing for Akko’s heat that she almost forgot about the request Holbrooke asked of her. Right after she learned that the original wielder of the Shiny Rod was an omega herself, she buried herself in paperwork trying to forget it. Fortunately, it worked, to the point she also ignored Holbrooke’s words as a whole.

Well, this was her fault in the first place, anyhow. She needs to atone for it. “My apologies, Headmistress. It slipped my mind.”

“It’s okay. It’s been an awfully busy time, after all, so I can’t blame this to be lost amongst others. I’m asking you now because this Samhain Festival has the most alpha people here in Luna Nova in a long time,” Holbrooke sighs. “Trust me when I say you’re the only teacher here who cares just as much about omega witches as I am, Chariot.” 

The redhead freezes from that, watching the woman carefully before she goes back to watch the finishing performance of the red team, who were putting out one last spell before completing their display. The audience was loud, unbelievably so for the two members of the red team as they bowed together on stage. It went exactly as they practiced. Chariot was proud. 

Breathing in, Chariot walks off, careful not to make her presence too known as she stakes out between the bleachers, watching any alpha surrounding one of their omega students carefully.

  
  


***

  
  


The sound of festivities on the field is hard to ignore, even when Chloe is far away from the field where everybody was gathering. She scowls, her concentration breaking again. Ruffling her blonde hair, she continues her way around the halls, careful to pick up on any disturbing scents creeping around the castle. 

She was looking for something, particularly one that was laced with sweet feminine pheromones. Chloe knows when she’ll pick it up; her sense of smell was trained to be accurate and she was a trained hunting alpha. She’ll find that omega in no time.

With everybody on the other side of the school, the team peach leader was left on her own, having already done her work as business chief by overlooking the boothing event. Sarah and Elfriede already understood her decision to leave early, telling them it’s to take a rest when that’s far from the case.

Chloe was on a hunt. And she won’t rest until she’ll find that  _ damn omega.  _

The French heiress ended up in the kitchens, where a few faeries were working around.  _ There are too many scents here, _ Chloe thinks, briefly thinking of going somewhere else to pick up any sort of disturbing smell before her senses pick up  _ something _ . 

She freezes for a bit before getting out of the way of a faerie goblin who had his hands full with a giant platter of sandwiches. When that was one less object inside the room, Chloe goes back to peering inside the kitchen and breathes in carefully, tracing out any scents that seems abnormal in the environment. 

Then she gets it; Chloe recognizes that strange mushroom scent from anywhere.  _ Sucy? That’s not strange, they’re on kitchen duty, _ Chloe thinks but the nagging in her stomach denies her respite. She steps inside, the faeries eyeing her strangely before she sharply says, “I’m overlooking the food to display in the booths for later tonight. Just carry on.”

And they do, not giving the French heiress another glance. Chloe walks around where Sucy’s diluted scent was, lingering on a giant oven that may as well use a bonfire to cook anything in there. She closes her eyes to concentrate, fully utilizing her olfactory sense, and breathes in.

From the scent of mushrooms and lilac, along with something beta, Lotte most probably, there was  _ that _ scent, the one from yesterday. It was diluted after so many hours so no one else could pick it up. But Chloe wasn’t a no-one; she was an alpha heir to one of the most successful line of witches, one with a superb nose that’s meant to discern ingredients for potions that it may as well be trained for hunting. As an alpha witch, they were meant to be providers first before hunters. 

When she finally picks up the same scent she got from yesterday, she opens her eyes, smirking to herself.  _ So Manbavaran was actually with the omega, eh? _

Chloe expects nothing less from that creep of a witch. While rude, while languid, while abhorrently rejecting everything that’s meant to be an alpha in Luna Nova, there was something in Sucy that was cunningly tactical. Even Diana knew not to mess with her, considering how deep her pockets for potions were that  _ anything _ could be thrown at one’s face if they say the wrong word. 

So chatting with the red team alpha was scraped off. Lotte was much more reasonable, but knowing how close she was to the alpha, Chloe was sure it would be hard to get an answer out of her too. That left the brunette of a leader they had to answer her questions.

Chloe sighs. She genuinely did not want to do anything with that dope but considering how she was the only other person that’s maybe dumb enough to fall for trick questions, the French heiress twists her heel and leaves the kitchen.

She walks to the red team dorm with grace in her step, as a single goal burning in her mind.

  
  


***

  
  


It felt so comfortable, the blanket. Even in the middle of her heat, the new blanket Chariot gave greatly alleviated the stress that built up inside her when she accidentally scratched her temple. But the faze in her head didn’t make it up much because as soon as some reasonable thought bubbles up, it sinks back down as all her rationality was poured into finding an alpha, alpha, alpha, alpha. 

God, she needs somebody or something right now. Something, something, something from an alpha! Or anybody for that matter. Just a touch, something to hold on to stop her knees from buckling underneath her and succumb to this unbearable heat. Anything to make her feel invigorated to do something, to get this gnawing between her legs to stop, please, make it stop, it’s painful, so so  _ so _ painful…

Akko whimpers against her bedsheets, curling tighter as she starts to rub her legs together again, hiding underneath the thick comforter.  _ Shit, that feels good, _ she starts to press faster to alleviate the coil tightening in her stomach, but as she was surrounded by nothing but her scent (where were Lotte and Sucy!?), the coil didn’t go anywhere.

The omega growls and scratches at the thick cushiony pants hiding her soaked cunt, but like before, it didn’t do anything. Tears started to prick behind her eyes. She wanted it to stop, make it stop, by the Nines make it stop…

She whimpers into her pillow, scratching harder but Chariot’s magic prevents her from doing so. She wants relief but even if she takes care of herself, she knows it wouldn’t be enough. One rational plan flits in her mind, the only plan her omega mind could come up; get out there and find an alpha.

_ Alpha, _ the omega thinks.  _ Alpha, alpha, alpha. Alpha could help me out of this. Alpha could help me with my heat. Alpha. I need an alpha. _

  
  


***

  
  


When Chloe reaches the door of the red team, the first thing she notices is the extra locks on the knob. Already feeling impatient, she takes out her wand, carefully undoing them with a bit of concentrated magical force. 

The iron breaks.

And  _ that scent _ comes out.

  
  


***

  
  


As Akko carefully wraps her skimpily-clad body with her new blanket, her mind chants and mantra about an alpha getting to help her with this--  _ this nightmare. _ Her omega was happy at the thought of getting a strong and virile alpha to be with her, to breed with her, to be her mate--

**Creak . . .**

The omega stiffens when she hears the door opening from behind her, smelling the invasive gush of pheromones seeping into her nest, and  _ oh Nines, it’s an alpha, alpha, alpha, aLPHA-- _

Akko turns, eyes wide and glassy before her omega rings sirens. At first, she didn’t know why before it hit her. Some bit of her higher mind retrieves unimportant memories; apples and cinnamon. An unfairly attractive combination, but when she finally recognizes it, the sirens make sense, making it even  _ louder _ .

There, from the entrance of her nest, stood Chloe, her dark eyes meeting Akko’s red. Her supposedly attractive scent started to shift into something vile, heavy with rage but also with delighted glee. The omega’s flight-or-fight response was kicking itself into a wild upstart. 

Disturbing silence surrounds them for a few moments and Akko watches the alpha’s face grow into an ominous smirk, akin to a predator finally catching its prey. 

_ “Found you.” _

  
  


***

  
  


With the third-year chairman filling up her position for tonight, as well as coaching specific instructions to Hannah and Barbara on the next events, Diana was left on her own. Her excuse of finding other students who failed to come back to the field wasn’t a lie, either. On the way around the courtyard and classrooms, she found several students still lingering by, and after a quick chastisement, they scampered back to the stages.

Diana treads carefully across Luna Nova’s halls, her senses still alert for any sort of unusualities that were interfering with her focus. The tug of her gut was still there, ever twisting uncomfortably, and she wonders if it has something to do with the French heiress who, unfortunately, Diana couldn’t locate yet.

But just as she rounds a corner, the pull at her gut tightens, and something in the air shifts, making her freeze. Her heart leaps at her throat, the alpha inside her screaming wrong,  _ wrong, wrong, something was terribly wrong. _

Then  _ that _ scent comes out of nowhere; the pulsing feminine pheromones with strawberries and sakura. But it was different; it was alert, turning very damp with fear, and Diana gasps.

Something was terribly wrong.

She breaks into a sprint again, running down the hallways as the blue team alpha follows her nose to wherever that abrupt scent was leading her, hoping to whatever god there is to  _ let her get there in time.  _

  
  


***

  
  


Unable to strain herself under the pressure of the alpha anymore, Akko bolts right into the only other exit of the dorm where the alpha was standing. She was driven by fear alone, all horniness was forgotten by the moment the other girl came in.

“Oh no, you’re not!” Chloe barks, canines flashing out as she snatches Akko’s blanket, not anticipating that the brunette would  _ continue _ and the alpha feels a sudden impact on her abdomen, causing her to get thrown to the floor. 

Akko’s head starts to throb as she rams her skull right to the alpha’s torso, but it does the trick; Chloe was shocked back on the ground for barely three seconds and she uses that time to get the  _ hell _ away from her.

The omega sprints off, hiding underneath her comforter, her bare feet making contact with the cold floor, the air was so cold,  _ oh Nines, help her, help her, help, her, somebody, help her-- _

“AH!” There was a sudden shock on one of her ankles again, similar to the one when Chariot snagged her earlier, and she lands on the ground when she gets pulled back. The scent of the alpha gets heavier with anger, offended by the pain she dealt on her, and the omega gets dragged back.

Chloe’s face contorts into a rage, eyes flashing furiously at the omega on the floor. The magical loops of energy bind Akko’s wrists together, making her let go of her blanket and her skin was fully exposed to the cold hard floor then. “You bitch!” Chloe walks to close the distance between them and Akko’s heart rate quickens, hammering so badly in her ears that they start to ring. 

The omega begins thrashing around, kicking her constrained legs together, trying to get the alpha farther away but the alpha was unfazed, and once she was near enough, Chloe kneels, eyeing the brunette darkly, looking at her like she was trash. “Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Chloe drawls before scoffing. “I should have known. But I have to give you credit Akko, you and your team were really careful in erasing your omega tracks,” A hand lands on her restrained thigh, and Akko freezes. It was soft, gentle, and most of all,  _ warm _ yet the brunette knows it was anything  _ but _ . “Not careful enough though.”

Then that hand trails up her body, feeling the omega’s feverish skin. By Jennifer, it wasn’t supposed to, but it felt  _ so good. _ Akko’s pulse quickens harder than before as she realizes this was exactly what she needed. Nevertheless, the fog her mind was trapped in still recognizes whose hand this belonged to.

Ignoring the clear inner turmoil the bound omega was having, Chloe lets her free hand travel into the expanse of smooth fair skin, enjoying the warmth and the slight twitches she gets in response. Not only that, there was her  _ scent _ ; while sizzling with pure anger, underneath were hints of embarrassment, but for the most part, it was unadulterated rage. Strawberries and blossoms, mixed with scorching heat pheromones that made Chloe’s alpha rumble in satisfaction. And her body; her skin was clear and pretty, and though not ample on the chest area, it was definitely giving about her bosom. If Chloe’s hand isn’t occupied with casting the binding spell on the omega, she would have grabbed a handful of the brunette’s chocolate locks already. 

Akko is undeniably a remarkable specimen of an omega. 

_ It seems like a waste to just get rid of her now, _ Chloe thinks, an idea alighting in the back of her head and she smirks down to the bound girl, who was watching her every move. 

Grinning, she crawls nearer to the omega, the sheer fright in her eyes satisfying her greatly. “Tsk, tsk, so much for keeping a secret, right? Perhaps we could compromise together, Akko. I’ll keep this secret of yours,” Her hand plays with the edge of her cotton shirt, and Akko’s breath hitches from the proximity. “But at a price.”

Akko’s frightful emotion changes when she mentions the word ‘price’. She briefly wonders what Chloe meant before the hand starts crawling up under her shirt, making her freeze again, and Chloe scoots closer and their faces are inches away from each other. The alpha’s eyes were so dark, almost purple, framed by pretty long eyelashes; Akko was sure they would look pretty should it shine differently. But they were looking at her so evilly like they were assessing her how well she would sell for. 

The fearful turmoil inside makes her move again, trying to get the alpha away from her, from those evil eyes, the hands gripping her abdomen, the scent surrounding her from everywhere that she could only smell the pressure Chloe was exuding. It was all too overwhelming for an omega in heat. 

Chloe’s ire spikes when Akko moves again, thrashing violently from underneath before she goes and straddles the girl to keep her still. With a flick of her wand, the bind tightens, and Akko shrieks in pain. When Akko continues to move even with the added weight on top of her abdomen, a sudden sharp and tight fire erupts from there. 

"AHH!" It’s painful, the heat cramps, and the contrast of the cold floor made it even worse. She screams but Chloe is quick to clamp a heavy palm around her mouth. Those evil,  _ evil _ eyes were staring through her soul again. “Don’t make a sound,” The alpha hisses. 

She is experiencing a heat cramp! Sweat begins to form around her temples from the uncomfortable tightness of her abdomen, the pain poking her whole body so excruciatingly. And yet, Chloe ignores it, her eyes leaving Akko’s pained gaze as they look down to the side of her neck.

A brief thought flits in the alpha’s mind as the sight of the omega’s bare neck provokes her. She licks her lips, wondering if the omega under her tasted just as good as she smelled. Akko notices the shift in Chloe’s scent and her fright heightens. She tries to wriggle away again but any sort of movement she does only adds fuel to then cramping on her stomach and she groans into the alpha’s hand.

Chloe ducks down, low enough that all she could smell was the omega’s scent. She takes a deep inhale, nosing around the gland that was excreting her pheromones. It was laced with disgust, that much was evident, but that didn’t deter the alpha from licking a long, wet stripe right along the base and up to her jaw.

Akko gasps and her canines bare. The lick was the last straw to her omega pride and Akko takes it to herself to ignore the cramping in her abdomen as she bites down the hand that was covering her mouth.

“GAH!” Chloe yelps and she immediately pulls up, snatching her right hand away from the omega's fangs, letting the left go and her wand clatters on the floor, dispelling Akko's binds. 

The omega was free, but the pain in her abdomen was still excruciating to feel. However, Akko bites it back down and pushes the distracted alpha off of her with all her might, snatching the wand in the process. She throws it away, where it skids off before falling into the staircase. Akko sighs, relieved that Chloe didn't have a wand anymore, yet it was short-lived when she felt a violent pull on the back of her neck. 

Deft fingers make a tight necklace across her throat, painfully blocking out her airway. Chloe's eyes spoke blind rage, her scent of apples turning murky with offended disgust, laced with the scent of blood from where Akko bit her. "You insolent broodmare!" she screams, fingers tightening around the column of her neck and Akko couldn't let out a sound except for a choked-out cough. She could only weakly kick at her yet the abnormally painful cramps, the freezing air, and the scuffle with the alpha were draining her energy  _ fast _ . 

Chloe was outraged that Akko pulled a fast one on her, yet it seems in the middle of her assessment of the omega, she forgot the omega she was dealing with in the first place was  _ Akko _ . 

“You should’ve left when you had the chance, Kagari,” Chloe whispers, gripping the brunette's neck forcefully, careful not to put too much pressure to hurt her, but enough to block out her airway and make her faint. “Had you not heeded my warning from before?”

_ It would've been easier for you, _ Chloe growls intimidatingly at the omega, feeling her writhe against her grip, but any attempts to escape by herself was futile,  _ Just listen for once. Like every other omegas out there.  _

Then something tackles her on her side, letting the omega slip away from her hands again. 

**BAM!**

The wind knocks out of her lungs as Chloe and her assailant falls hard on the floor. 

Through her blind rage, Chloe fails to recognize the broiling scent of magic that was laced with zealous hatred and the blue eyes shining through the darkness. 

Chloe could barely register the dual-colored hair and the cerulean hues before a hard right hook smacks down to the left side of her cheek and the peach team alpha is out cold. 

Diana's breath stutters, pants coming out in long intervals. The travel from the ground floor to the third floor was quick enough that it left the heiress breathless by the time she saw Akko getting manhandled by Chloe. 

From the sight of her brown dishevelled hair, and to Chloe's fists enclosing around her slender neck, the blue team alpha could only see red, her senses tunneling down that reason could not keep up. 

Once the other opponent alpha is unmoving on the ground, Diana's body relaxes, briefly registering that she just punched a fellow student without hesitation, and a groan interrupts her from her thoughts. 

Diana turns to the brunette lying some distance away from them, hunching over herself, coughing, and oh Nines, what just happened? Did she really just punch Chloe? Was Chloe really just choking Akko? Why, what, how, why, what, how--

The blue team alpha’s mind couldn't match the speed her body was moving, as she was already picking up the discarded blanket on the floor and covering Akko with it before using her wand to eradicate all the heavy scents surrounding the hallways, rinsing out any signs of an alpha/omega scuffle. She leaves Chloe be, knowing she would come to sooner or later, because there was something more important to be dealt with right now. 

Akko groans from the floor again, and Diana kneels to cover the blanket around her tighter. Akko is warm, so  _ warm _ , and she smells so good. Diana feels light-headed as the scent of strawberries and blossoms surrounds her, but she couldn't marvel just yet. She needs to get Akko in safer places. 

Putting an arm behind Akko’s knees and back, the heiress carefully lifts her up, flushing her body against hers to give her just as much warmth before going away to the safest place she knows: the blue team dorm. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After long grueling weeks of homework and just plain writer's/art block, I have finally found the will to barely post this. Well, hopefully, this chapter came to you guys just fine, if not a BIT disturbing. Chloe's a creep and Luna Nova's faculty is a fucking mess, 'nuff said. And yay! Diana comes to the rescue! 
> 
> That art probably wouldn't do this week's chapter justice but what can I say lol I've been trying to pat myself off of the Christmas rush and post-traumatic modules that I KNOW I just flunked. Goodbye college, hello NEET lifestyle.


	12. Heat (M)

Her breath started to come out in short puffs, trying and repeatedly failing to remember to breathe through her mouth because the _scent_ is right at her nose, and god she was warm, warmer than what Diana remembers her to be, and _sweet Bellatrix Akko’s an omega--_

_Breathe,_ Diana thinks, snapping herself out of her thoughts as she focuses back on the path to her dorm to hide the omega currently groaning in her arms, getting her legs to run from that _bitch_ as fast as possible. _Breathe. You can’t finish anything just by staying angry._

In her adrenaline of getting the omega away from the other alpha, Diana almost forgot to apply a scent-blocking herself to lose any trails. Akko curls in her arms again, groaning in pain, and Diana pulls her closer to herself. She sees the door when she turns a corner, and she flicks her wand to open it. 

The door opens and Diana pushes in before willing it to slam shut. She heaves a sigh of relief when they were finally alone in closed walls, and Diana carefully puts the omega in the nearest seat of cushion wide enough for her to lay, which was the couch. 

Akko is warm, incredibly so, and Diana is worried she'll die from heatstroke from the assumption that she was having a fever. But her assumption comes out wrong because apparently for Akko’s kind, this is _normal_. The blue team alpha pants by the foot of the couch, eyeing the omega who has her eyes screwed shut in pain. _Akko’s an omega,_ she thinks, hands twitching because _Akko’s an omega._

_Dear Nines, I am so,_ **_so_ **_dense,_ the alpha slaps her hands on her face. How could she have missed the signs? Akko was sick for _weeks_ , was avoiding _everybody_ , and _that scent,_ gods, don’t even get her started. Reeling from the overdrive she just experienced, Diana sits back on the carpeted floor, her face flushing against her palms as the gears in her head worked backward to the many, _many_ signs that signaled… _this_. Whatever this was.

_This is not just whatever!_ Diana starts hitting her temple with the heel of her hand as the omega’s pheromones fill the air, surrounding her completely. It smells stressed, uncomfortable, and in pain, and it fills the alpha with the _need_ to comfort the omega in front of her, and _Nines, she’s an idiot!_

Diana sighs against her other hand, the other resting on the clutch it has on her hair, grounding herself by the pain of the new revelation thrust on her so unexpectedly. She didn’t know whether to start crying or laughing about this because, hell, what was she supposed to do? 

Akko was an omega and she was not just any omega, she was the omega that owns the _scent_. The very one that Diana has been epiphany over and over again these past few weeks to the point it was embarrassing. She groans again as she grieves over the situation at hand, because god she’s an idiot, she’s an idiot, she’s an idiot!

_Hello, strawberries? Akko eats those stuff with other condiments at any chance she gets!_ Diana rubs her temples. _And Sakura! She’s Japanese, oh god I am such an idiot! I should’ve sensed her way earlier! Even Chloe got to her faster than me!_

From that thought, Diana’s breath hitches in her throat before coming out in a weak croak. The thought alone brought shame all over Diana. She let _Chloe_ get to Akko _first_. Anger, shame, and regret start to consume her thoughts as she remembers how Chloe had Akko hanging from her hands by the neck as Akko struggled against her hold. For Diana’s incompetency, she let an alpha-extremist get to Akko, who was in heat, she let Chloe get to her first all because she hasn’t been sharp enough to discern the situation at hand.

“I’m so sorry, Akko…” Diana whispers against her palm. Like she was responding, Akko shivers against the couch, twitching and sweating profusely before Diana notices how she was quickly losing the color on her face. 

The alpha’s eyes widen in alarm at the sight, quickly getting out of her stupor and hesitatingly approaches the omega. Akko groans into her blanket and turns to her side, away from Diana. The heiress puts a tentative hand on the brunette’s forehead and her heart drops.

Akko was burning, almost literally. Despite the blanching, the blood underneath her pumped so hotly. When Diana felt against her pulse point, her heartbeat was crazy fast. She gasps and pulls the thick blanket away from the omega, making her whine, but Diana was focused on where her arms were latched around her abdomen. 

_Think, Diana, think! What are the common illnesses omegas are likely to have when in heat? Hypertension, dehydration, heat cramps-- heat cramps! She’s having heat cramps!_ The heiress’s hands gently shook Akko’s wrists away from where they were grappling onto her shirt. She tries to be gentle but the omega was still stubborn as ever. Annoyed by this, Diana growls, “Akko, let go. _Now_.”

Almost immediately, the omega’s grip lessens from the alpha’s commanding voice, allowing Diana to inspect her abdomen. It was red, with plenty of other marks on her wrists and legs, like bindings. Diana’s eyes flashed in anger, realizing how far gone the other heiress did to Akko before going back to the more serious matter at hand. Carefully taking out the wand, she summons a mild magical healing spell for the cramping.

She taps the tip of the wand on swollen spots on Akko’s skin, and from the cold contact of metal on her skin, Akko flinches, crying further in alarm. Diana immediately takes off the wand as Akko turns away from her, whimpering in pain, and Diana’s heart sinks, mind racing before finding a resolution to grapple with the brunette again, grabbing her by her forearm and yanking her towards herself. Akko yelps at that but Diana ignores her, having already dealt with enough stubborn patients to utilize her time and move onto her next task.

Tapping the spell against the strained muscles again, Diana carefully exerts pressure onto the omega’s shoulder, rumbling her chest as a signal for the omega to be obedient. Fortunately, Akko obeys, and all at once as the spell does its work, the heat cramps recede, flushing away and coming back the color of white creamy skin. Diana applies the same spell to the other clear red marks where Chloe instilled bind and Nines, she’s so angry, at Chloe for hurting Akko, and at herself for letting this happen!

_I should’ve been more vigilant,_ Diana thinks as she moves to the next wound. _I should’ve met up with Akko more. I should’ve been a better friend._ As she sees Akko’s face calm down as the pain eases away, Diana is left to think what would have happened if she had just been a little earlier. _Chloe wouldn’t have laid a hand on her if I was faster. Akko didn’t deserve this, gods, I should have stayed with her. I could have stayed with her if only she_ ** _told_ **_me. Akko, why didn’t you tell me?_

“Finished,” the alpha breathes a sigh of relief once the painful red marks on the omega’s skin disappear. Akko is still when Diana lets her go and once nothing was disturbing the omega’s body but the blanket pooling around her ankles, her body continues its normal heightened pheromone production. 

The scent of distressed omega pheromones is replaced with sweet citrusy blooms of sakura and strawberries. Diana sniffs the air once and almost immediately, her anger recedes, her strain loosening until all she could focus on was the omega in front of her. The thought of the French heiress still made her want to hunt her down and finish her for good but for now, all the alpha wanted to do is to make any sort of way to let the omega feel better.

Akko groans against the cushion as Diana watches over her, twitching slightly. The alpha didn’t know if the omega was asleep or just delirious but one thing’s for sure, her scent was turning thicker every minute. And each time the omega pumps out pheromones, Diana could feel herself slipping. _She smells so good,_ the alpha thinks, feeling a growl travel up to her throat. She didn’t know if it was her own body reacting to the pheromones, but for some reason, Diana thinks Akko’s hair looks softer than usual. The alpha didn’t do anything to stop her hand from picking out a few chocolate locks, and _god she smells so unbelievably good._

Once she tucks the lock of hair behind the omega’s ears, Diana immediately feels the sweat collecting on her skin and the abruptly rising temperature. _She’s still hot_ , the alpha concludes and eyes the skimpy shirt and shorts the omega was donning. Diana tries not to blush at the free expanse of skin that she wanted to _touch, to lick, to taste, god she wants to mark her so bad,_ but if she does she might as well commit arson on Luna Nova’s building. _What am I thinking? Akko’s my friend! I shouldn’t be thinking of ways on how to jump on her bones. I should-- I should clean her up._

The thought brightens an idea in her head and she stands up. “I’ll be back,” she tells the brunette, unsure if she can hear her or not but she’s already in her side of the dorm thinking if Akko would fit in one of her robes.

As the alpha tries to ignore the pull on her gut to taste the omega in heat on the couch, said omega stirs when she notices the missing heat to her left. 

The searing cramps she felt earlier was now reduced to dull throbs before it sunk out, and Akko sighs in relief once the pain in her body wasn’t anything more than the common heat symptoms. She feels wet and sweaty, her clothes sticking onto her skin grossly. The cold temperature of the room (where is she?) turned her clothes cold quick and the contrast of what she felt on her outer skin and the fire inside her made her heat spike, prickling the strain of her body. The omega groans but as she stuffs her face to the cushion of whatever thing she laid, and god, it’s so not soft, she wants to go back to her nest--

_Is this an alpha’s scent?_

Akko stills as she noses the cushion squished against her face. The pheromones it got stuck on was definitely alpha. She finally blinks her eyes open as the scent brings her out of her gaze, her olfactory sense sharpening clearly to realize that yes, this was an alpha! Eyes dilating in sheer desire, the omega buries her nose into the _deliciously_ enticing scent, the fire in her core further burning the pleasure pumping in her blood. 

She breathes heavily and it comes out in the sound of a moan, to which the alpha in the other part of the room, pulling out a fresh towel, perks up. “Haa…” Akko whimpers, tears pricking behind her eyes as she rubs her legs again, breathing in more of that heavenly scent as she quickly rubs her drenched core before realizing it wasn’t going anywhere, even with the aid of the scent.

The omega grumbles as the fire in her skin still hasn't been sated and hell, how long does she need to endure this? She briefly glances around. Nobody was there to see her. No Professor Chariot to watch over her this time. And oh god, this scent is just exactly what she needs, god she needs it so bad…

Her shorts didn’t pull away fast enough. Akko props her knees up slowly and she pulls the offending cotton sleep shorts down to pool at her ankles, grimacing at the wetness sticking from her panties and her core, connected by a glistening string before it breaks and the omega finally breathes. God, it feels _so_ much better without any clothes on.

Akko breathes a hoarse breath as she was finally out of constricting clothing and noses the cushion under her chin. _It smells so good,_ the omega thinks as her hand reaches down to her abdomen, feeling how feverish she became as she anticipates what she was about to do. When Akko’s fingers make contact with her core, she is embarrassed by how wet she became in such a short amount of time, from just a pillow used by an alpha. She’s ashamed but the inner omega yelling at her for relief drowns it out and she touches her core.

“Ahh…” The omega moans when finally, something was touching her aching clit. She shivers as she strokes a finger between her lower lips before touching the bundle of nerves again, thighs twitching from the sensation of her own fingers playing with her slick and rubbing it against her drenched pussy. Akko’s eyes dilate in pleasure as she sniffs the cushion with the alpha scent again, lost in a dream of an alpha touching her core instead of herself. “Oh god, _yes…_ ”

Her hand rubs her pussy faster, pushing her fingers between the epicenter of her slick and her hot nub, shivering whenever her fingers hit the latter, causing a spell of electricity to climb up from the base of her spin and race up to her head. “ _Shit… yeah…_ ” Akko moans when finally, _finally_ some sort of pleasure was building up, straining her insides so hotly that it feels it brushing against her threshold, threatening itself to let loose. When she captures her hot bundle of nerves and _pinches_ , she comes with a strangled cry, convulsing on the spot as she moves her hips to ride out the pleasure for a little longer, because _shit, that feels so good._

The fire inside her stomach finally, _finally_ abates, even just for a bit, and Akko slumps back into the couch. She sighs in relief, the sound coming out in short breathy pants that’s more or less akin to a kitten. Her hand doesn’t leave her heat just yet, letting it feel the growing pool of slick that drips down to her shorts and the couch. “Haah…”

**CLUNK!**

A sound of an item dropping to the floor alerted the omega that somebody else was with her, waking her up from her daze of pleasure, and a sharp gasp escapes her throat. Craning her neck, the omega turns to see a wide-eyed alpha staring at her, arms full of fresh towels and on the ground, a perfume of something. When Akko sniffs the air, the same scent of the couch radiates off the alpha standing some feet away from her, and reassured by this, her mind melts from its fear and the lusting fire comes back with a roar of her omega. An _alpha_ was in front of her.

“ _Alpha…_ ”

Diana is frozen on her spot, eyes wide like an owl as she digests the sight of a spread omega in front of her, bare of anything but the loose cotton shirt and the quilt and underwear pooling around her feet. Her eyes wouldn’t leave that drenched core dripping a puddle on the couch even if she wanted to. It takes her a full ten seconds before she manages to get her breath back again when the _unfairly captivating scent_ of omega pheromones spike, drowning out her quickly weakening rationality, alarming her higher mind of the trouble that was about to come. 

_Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck,_ the alpha thinks, swallowing the guilty but turned-on lump in her throat as she and Akko lock eyes with each other, with the latter’s hand still on her bare and wet pussy, and _god she looks like a snack, fuck fuck fuck this is bad this is bad this_ **_so_ ** _bad, Sweet Beatrice restrain me--_

“Alpha~...” The moan from the omega in front of her cuts the alpha’s quickly deranging thoughts, bringing her eyes away from the perfectly split pink peach and to red eyes that were hazy with lust. “Alpha, please, please, please~! You smell so good… please, alpha, come nearer,” Akko says, voice alluring and thick, each word a threat to the walls Diana was quickly putting up between her and the omega in heat.

“A-Akko, you’re in heat,” Diana replies, taking a heavy step back, a herculean amount of effort to do when the omega was _gushing out those pheromones for her and her alone, no one else,_ but the alpha pulls herself together by slapping a hand over her nose. “According to the Luna Nova student handbook, an omega in heat is off-limits for alphas that aren’t their teammates,” From the mention of the handbook, the omega’s face visibly sours but Diana wills herself to continue, “You’re in the red team. I’m in the blue team. I’m not supposed to do anything to you.”

Yeah, all those reasons seem feeble to the roaring alpha inside her demanding to _taste the omega,_ but Diana needs every and _any_ reason not to tap Akko’s _fine_ ass right now. The alpha breathes in through her mouth, carefully not to inhale the pheromones that might trigger something in her but _shit, it’s too good!_

If it was possible, the scent becomes even _more_ enticing than before and she sees Akko sitting up from her spot on the bed, drooping crimson eyes staring right through the alpha’s soul, the color piercing her resolve and _that_ voice comes out again in a breathy whimper: “Alpha~...” The omega’s face was red and her skin was shining with sweat, glistening so prettily against the light from the window and it becomes even worse when the brunette strips herself of her shirt.

Small, perky breasts peak out as the omega pulls the white cotton shirt away from her head, deliciously jutting out from her petite and slim body clean of any sort of hair, and _fuck, she’s so unbelievably hot._ Diana’s mouth might as well have become sandpaper as she watches the omega throw the shirt down and pulls her slick-ridden underwear next, dumping them next to her on the couch, leaving her _nude, wet, and ready._

Holy shit, each clothing the omega discarded was a giant rebuttal to all morals Diana has set herself as the de facto alpha of Luna Nova, crushing it brick by brick as more and more of yielding fair skin was presented in front to her, and _Nines, have mercy I can’t take this._ In the last attempt to stop herself from doing something forbidden, from breaking her promise as the top alpha of Luna Nova, Diana looks away, staring into the other wall of the dorm, away from the omega that was basically telling her to take her. 

Her now released skin makes Akko shiver from the cold air of the room, blinking her awake from her state of sex drive for a bit before recognizing the alpha in front of her. That dual-colored hair, the aroused alpha scent that was strained by duty, and the brunette was brought to the realization that it was _Diana_ who she was trying to woo. The omega inside her roars in triumph as it was only her and the alpha betwixt of the walls of the dorm. 

But still, the alpha was looking away. _Not that it matters,_ something inside her whispers. _Just do one last thing and that alpha will be all over you._

The omega sighs before she readjusts herself on the spot of the couch, promptly turning around and laying her head over the arm of the couch, propping her legs up by her knees, her primal mind knowing what she was doing faster than her currently melted higher mind did. _No alpha can deny an omega presenting,_ Akko thinks and she smiles coyly to herself. “ _Alpha~..._ ”

Upon the sound of her name, Diana couldn’t help but glance, just a tiny harmless peek, not knowing it was the one trick of the omega before her resolve was truly broken. 

Akko was presenting to her, bent over the couch with her ass high in the air, that glistening pussy just dripping aroused pheromones meant to dull her sense of rationality that as Cavendish has been drilled to her, the beautiful pearl on the edge begging her to suck. When the omega arches her back, now perfectly presenting herself to the alpha, all of Diana’s restraint lets go.

The alpha’s blue eyes shine in sheer _lust_ and _desire_ , fully set on the prize that was laid out in front of her, and from the briefest memory of defeating the nearest competition alpha that was also after this _gorgeous_ omega, her confidence comes to fruition. Dropping the items in her arms, Diana approaches the omega presenting on the couch and Akko’s eyes shine enthusiastically. 

One of Diana’s pale hands catches a buttcheek and her inner alpha howls in triumph as she feels the soft skin under her palm, unbelievably hot and soft. The omega keens at her touch, dropping her head as finally, someone was touching her. The alpha kneads the soft skin for a bit, watching at how soft and full her hands were just from grabbing the omega’s ass. “Nines, you’re beautiful,” Diana whispers with a growl, to which Akko moans as a response, pushing her bottom towards the alpha, a signal for her to take, to claim. 

A fresh gush of wetness seeps out of her needy opening, pushing more pheromones that would hopefully entice the alpha to claim her for good. It worked because Diana pauses before bringing a hand to touch the wetness wetting her thighs. 

Diana runs a careful hand through the space between the omega’s lean and spread legs, appreciating how smooth it felt with her other hand, and Sweet Beatrix, her _slick_. It’s so hot and slippery, coating her fingers in a way Diana didn’t think she liked but faster than she could think, she already licked a finger off. It tasted salty, tangy, with something sweet somewhere in the taste, and it left the heiress begging for more. Astonished by this, the heiress watches the bare glistening opening widely, taking in the sight of it all at once before she brings her tongue out and _licks_. 

Akko moans as she feels the wet muscle _everywhere_. The alpha’s tongue laps the dripping parts of the omega’s thighs, leaving a hot wet stripe that goes _up_ and _up_ until it stops near the overheating core, where it continues to trickle out slick out unceremoniously for the alpha. 

_She’s so wet,_ Diana thinks idly, tasting more of the soft skin of the brunette before she mindlessly bites a bit there, receiving a satisfying flinch of surprise. The alpha growls in satisfaction from the reaction and the keening sound the omega was giving her. _So wet, just for me._

“Alpha… Please, please, _please_!” The omega’s voice sounds so needy that it makes the alpha peek an eye open to see the pleading look on her face, absolutely red and lost in a haze of lust, tears prickling in the corner of her eyes from the sensation of being eaten out. 

Diana gasps from the sight, partly from the sheer beauty of the omega in front of her, but for the most part, it was her higher mind finally catching up with what she was doing, _who_ she was doing. _Those eyes._ Despite the scent of pheromones that were calling out to her specifically, Diana recognizes the maroon color glistening with tears, thus the realization of who she was with strikes the heiress like a bolt of lightning, snapping her out of her lenses of lust. 

Her movement stutters, the previous confidence thinning out quickly but the scent of the wet omega in front of her still pulls Diana in, telling her to absolutely not stop now. “Akko,” the heiress finally says, voice lower, deeper, and it does wonders to the omega, her hot breath fanning against the yielding skin, and Akko shivers. “What do you want me to do?”

Akko moans from the words, a sound so dirty and high-pitched that Diana almost falters from her position behind the omega. She thumbs the skin where she licked, fingers tracing the outer part of the core, not yet touching, but she _was_ staring. And gods, what a sight. 

“A-Alpha… take me, hard and fast, _please_!” The omega pleads, loud and needy and it gets the alpha riled enough to go back to what she was doing before; her tongue once again travels around the exposed skin, acting considerate by massaging the omega’s quivering thighs her tongue finally comes up to the omega’s wet center.

Diana moans when she finally tastes the snug wetness, feeling the omega turning even wetter from her action. _Shit,_ she thinks as she moves her tongue against the entrance, _So good._ It was so soft, wet, so unbelievably hot that it’s almost burning, yet she continues, earning moan after moan from the omega shaking from her touches. The heiress was careful not to hit the sensitive bundle of nerves, knowing if she does, Akko would be over the edge. 

I want her to come, the alpha thinks, still lapping up the fresh gush of wetness entering her mouth. But I want to do more to her. 

“Alpha~! Faster! I’m so close-- _pleasepleaseplease!_ ” Akko suddenly yelps, panting heavily against the cushion of the couch, clawing it desperately as though she’s holding on for dear life and Diana departs her needs to appease the other girl.

With her inner alpha taking the wheel of her actions, Diana’s hands grip the omega’s hips, pulling her back, ignoring how she yelps as the alpha drag her back to get her bare heat more on her height, and Diana devours her, claiming the swollen bundle of nerves and _sucks_. 

  
“AHH! FUCK!” The omega screams as she feels the alpha’s mouth basically feeding off of her, making _obscene_ slurping sounds as Diana’s tongue teases around her entrance before agitating her clit, alternating between them, thoroughly fucking the omega, reducing her to a moaning, wet mess. “Al-Alphaaaa~! Just like that!”

Diana obliges, smiling through the heat as Akko’s wetness drips down from her chin, tasting the girl over and over again, and soon she has her tongue inside of the omega. It was hotter there, the wet velvety walls welcoming her in. Akko keens in delight as the alpha tongues her pussy instead, a thumb quickly replacing the missing muscle and starts rubbing her aching clit.

Electric tingles travel up to her spine, going up from the number of sensations her core was feeling and her arms buck under her weight, fully pliant and submissive to the onslaught of feelings that alpha was dealing with her. Each invasion of her tongue left her aching for more, the rough finger flicking her clit back and forth, the aroused scent of the alpha, and just the fact that it was Diana who was doing this to her make her topple over the edge.

Akko screams, stars bursting behind her eyes, blinding her for a second as the sheer heat of coming burns up her skin, throwing her into a nirvana of pleasure. Diana stays still as Akko shivers from her high, staying in the position of her tongue inside the clenching velvety tightness, pour heat upon heat right into her mouth and the alpha takes it all because it was her who made Akko like this, she was the one who made her come, and she would absolutely not waste a single drop.

Through Akko’s orgasm, Diana continues to lap around her sweet and wet core, licking through the searing heat of her sex and sucking out the bud thirstily, like it was the only source of water there was for miles. Her shaking thighs and soft skin, and just the sight of the position that the omega was in, fed the alpha in ways she never thought possible. 

“Hahhh… Alpha~” The brunette moans as Diana guides her down from her high by taking off her tongue and gently massaging the soft meat of her thighs, her warm touch appeasing the omega greatly as she pants against the cushion, the scent of sex and submissive omega pheromones hanging heavily in the air. 

Diana pants as she paws Akko’s hips, appreciating the curve of her bosom and the softness of her skin before wiping off the remaining wetness gathering around her chin. She realizes what she’s doing then once she licks the rest of the slick away, freezing in astonishment because _wow, she just made Akko come._ And it was amazing. The heiress still wasn’t quite satisfied, however, seeing as she only made the brunette come from behind so she couldn’t quite see her expression. _I… want to make her come again,_ Diana thinks, another haze of lust clouding her mind and she rubs the soft skin a little more. 

Akko moans again, low with a slight growl to it as she still feels the alpha’s paws on her hips and she moves to get it off of her. Then the grip tightens. She squeaks in alarm when Diana flips her over, exposing her front and they’re properly facing each other’s faces. Frightful red eyes meet deep ocean hues, the color piercing through the omega’s soul. 

_She’s gorgeous,_ Diana thinks, her heart beating crazy fast, the scent of strawberries and blossoms making her light-headed as she grabs the omega’s waist, flushing it against hers, clutching tightly to the soft and hot skin as though it might disappear. Akko’s brown hair is splayed across the couch, ending in such pretty pools of chocolate that it brings Diana to capture a lock of hair and _sniffs_. The omega blushes as she watches the alpha above her carefully sniffing her hair before exhaling, as if in a trance, and they lock gazes again. “What are you doing to me,” Diana’s platinum blonde hair curtains around Akko’s face, her arms boxing the omega in as she leans in close until their noses bump together. “Can I kiss you?”

Akko’s eyes are wide, blinking owlishly at her before giving the barest of nods and before Diana leans further in. Their lips lock together seamlessly like pieces of a missing puzzle, fitting perfectly. The first kiss was just a quick peck, and yet it makes the heiress breathless, craving for more. One glance at her red eyes and Diana kisses her again, tilting her head to take her sweet lips deeper, licking the brunette’s lower lip to ask for permission and Akko does, opening her mouth hesitantly.

The amount the alpha’s tongue enters her mouth, Akko knew she had no chance, letting her do whatever she wants to her because apparently, that’s what does it for her. Diana’s chest rumbles in satisfaction when she feels the omega’s resolve go, her alpha howling in delight when she feels Akko becoming wet, _wetter_ than before. One of her hands reaches down to the shaking thighs, grabbing roughly onto the skin before gently patting it back, loving every inch of red skin.

Their kiss ends with a wet pop as Diana pulls herself up, a wet string of saliva connecting their lips before Diana smirks, breaking it as she watches the omega underneath her so breathless, fair skin coated with a sheen of sweat, the scent of strawberries turning so aroused. _I did this to her,_ Diana thinks, leaning back down again to kiss one of Akko’s cheeks. _She’s wet, naked, and breathless for me. For me alone._ **_Mine._ **

Akko moans when Diana leaves wet kisses from her cheek and down to her jaw, the sound bringing delight to her inner alpha. As she noses around the omega’s jaw, however, Diana suddenly notices the strange scent imprinted there; apples and cinnamon. The alpha growls in anger, recognizing that it was _Chloe’s_ scent on _her_ omega. _That bitch--!_

Diana suddenly growls, so deeply that it makes Akko’s body shake as she senses the angering discomfort in the alpha’s scent, clearly she was bothered by something. The omega quickly changes her scent into something one of comfort, looping her arms across the alpha’s neck to pull her closer, purring softly as she shushes the anger, gently kissing her ear as latches her chin on her shoulder. Almost immediately, the boiling anger of the alpha recedes, the scent of sex and submission, along with the warm body pressed against hers, calming her greatly. She still didn’t like Chloe’s scent on the omega, though. 

_I’ll make her forget that bitch,_ Diana thinks, eyes flashing vengefully before she noses the side of Akko’s neck, sniffing deeply, ignoring the sting of the other alpha’s scent on her omega’s skin before wetting her lips and kissing the vein pulsing underneath it. Akko moans at the action, loud and so unbelievably erotic, and she nips at the skin to keep her still. The omega whimpers at that but she obeys, now fully pliant in the alpha’s arms, letting her nip at her skin.

Then Diana’s hands move, falling lower from her thighs before ending at the edge of her soaking core and Akko flinches at the fleeting touch. Diana grins at the reaction, licking lovingly at the red bruise forming from where she bit her before cupping her dripping sex and squeezed. Akko’s eyes fly open from the sensation and the alpha feels another gush of wetness seep out of her opening, wetting her hand deliciously and she awards the girl with another kiss on the neck before running her middle finger over the sopping cunt. 

The brunette moans again, shivering as Diana drags her finger along her lower lips. _She’s so wet,_ Diana thinks, thumbing the brunette’s clit as she plays with the opening gushing out wetness after wetness as she does her ministrations. _I could probably put it in…_

With that thought in mind, the alpha carefully pushes through the wetness and into the omega’s heat. Akko gasps from the intrusion, deterring Diana from her movements, pulling up to see the look on her face. “I-I’m sorry, are you okay? Did I hurt you? Oh, Nines, I hope I didn’t--” she sputters, flushed and sweaty as she tries to pull her finger out of the velvety heat before Akko’s hand leaves the nape of her neck to catch her wrist. 

“N-NO!” The omega sobs, sobs, and Diana freezes, watching those glassy red eyes following her hand that was slowly going back to its previous place. Diana’s finger sinks even deeper into the omega’s core, feeling how wet and hot it was inside of her and Akko moans, in pleasure this time, slowly letting go of her pale wrist. “S-Stay inside, please, please, _please_ ~...”

“Alright,” Diana’s nerves are jumbled into a shaking mess, partly from fear, but mostly because she’s _fingering Akko, and gods she just wants to make her feel good._ Diana leans further down to leave a sweet peck against Akko’s lips. “Tell me when to stop, okay?”

When the omega gives her a reassuring nod, Diana pushes her finger deeper into the tight sopping hole before pulling back, feeling Akko clench around her fingers, prolonging the drag before pushing back in and it goes with an obscene squelch. Diana’s mouth _waters_. 

“Nines, you’re beautiful, Akko,” the words are breathed against a red temple before Diana kisses it, continuing with her ministrations. “So submissive and wet for your alpha, huh?”

“Aah~ Alpha…” Akko moans from under her as Diana continues the same movement, each pull of her finger bringing out a fresh gush of wetness from her heat, the slick beginning to pool underneath the omega’s quivering thighs. Diana might’ve thought of pulling a towel underneath the omega but that was thrown out of the window when Akko moans so sensually into her ear, “Please, alpha, another one, please please please-- _AH! Just like that! Yes yes yes!”_

Diana has her ring finger inside now and she feels Akko wetter than before, swallowing her so easily, almost sucking her in, clenching around her fingers tightly and hotly that Diana’s alpha couldn’t help but groan in approval. With another digit inside her, Akko starts to move her hips, trying to pull them in deeper but with a bite on her collarbone, the omega is still again. 

Once the omega is placid to her, Diana moves. “You’re so tight,” the alpha mindlessly whispers against her ear, grinning when she feels Akko shiver. “Your cunt swallowed my fingers so easily.” She pushes her fingers in deeper, feeling around the hot walls of the omega’s heat before dragging back out and she feels herself drooling when it comes out with a fresh gush of wetness coating it. She grins as she pushes in again, drinking the wail of pleasure from the brunette’s lips, feeling around the clenching walls as the heiress builds a rhythm.

_In. Out. In. Out._ Diana’s pace is slow but firm, touching as deeply as she could and Akko feels a new strain growing in her stomach, each stroke satisfying her rippling heat, clenching into the fingers. When it begins to get a bit too slow for her, Akko moves her hips again, trying to pull the heiress into a faster pace. Diana rumbles her chest, another command for her to stay still but Akko continues. “Alpha~ faster, please, fuck me _faster…_ ”

Diana’s eyes widen before resuming her confidence. “With--With pleasure,” Beckoned by the omega, Diana’s fingers try a different angle this time and pushes her fingers in harder, faster this time, and her movements seem to hit a spot when Akko gasps again, and moans, the sound music to the heiress’s ears. _Her sweet spot,_ the alpha thinks, growling proudly at the response she gets when hastens her pace, fingers pistoning in and out of the omega screaming in pleasure. It was an honor to see the omega underneath her writhe to her movements like she couldn’t get enough of it, _she wants it, she wants_ **_her_** _, and Diana will gladly give it._

Then as she pushes her fingers in, something stands out among the walls, something so unbelievably soft that her alpha roars in approval when she finds it. Instinctively, Diana curls her fingers around the area, and Akko's eyes fly open in shock, moaning so loudly as Diana presses into it, massaging it gently and she feels Akko’s body go limp from underneath her as though her bones have melted in a puddle. Encouraged by the expression of sheer pleasure on the brunette’s face, Diana goes faster, fingering and massaging the tight heat quickly, feeling how hot her cunt became, rippling with a gush of wetness every time Diana pushes hard enough on her sweet spot. 

“Shit, ah, alpha~!” Akko screams, quivering with every stroke Diana does inside of her clenching heat. Her hands gently massage the nape of the alpha’s neck and Diana sighs. _That feels good,_ Diana thinks idly before Akko’s hands pull her back down and they meet with a searing kiss. The heiress immediately tilts her head to accommodate them better, continuing with her blistering pace and Akko moans as her palm rubs against her clit.

_She’s close,_ Diana’s alpha whispers, ignoring the cramps because it was nothing to the angel underneath her writhing to her tempo. _She’s close, she wants it faster, harder--_

The omega moans into the alpha’s mouth again, greedily licking her lips as if she couldn’t get enough and Diana complies, kissing her deeply before feeling her stiffen, muscles getting taut, and Akko grows so hot and tender, clenching around her fingers deeply as an onslaught of wetness comes out from her sopping heat. Akko pulls away to arc her back, screaming to the ceiling as Diana’s movements slow down, prolonging her orgasm. 

As Akko’s hips come down, the alpha’s fingers opt for a slower grind, gently massaging the heated sweet spot before finally feeling the omega’s tightness unclench around her. She stays in, wanting to feel the heat of the omega as long as possible. “Breathe, Akko,” Diana says as she kisses her forehead sweetly, gently, wiping away the sweat gathering there with her free hand. “You did so well, now breathe. Follow my steps.”

Diana evens her breath and long equal inhales and exhales, Akko quickly mimicking her before going limp against the couch again, and Diana lets her, basking in the sight of a finished omega from underneath her, looking so serene and peaceful. _She’s so beautiful,_ Diana thinks and starts leaning in to peck the brunette’s lips again before feeling the even breath coming out of her. _Oh,_ the alpha realizes, _She’s sleeping._

Gently getting out of the omega’s hold, Diana picks up the dropped towels on the other side of the room and wraps them around the naked girl, wiping away the sweat and slick that gathered. _Curious,_ Diana thinks as cleans the sated omega, eyeing her neck where she could see the hickey she left. _Even after…_ this _, she still smells so good._

The alpha swallows again as the sight of the bare neck provokes her alpha. Faster than she could think, she’s already nosing the skin. To her delight, Chloe’s scent was gone, and in its place was hers. _Good,_ Diana thinks with a growl, kissing the bare neck before going back to cleaning the omega. Once that is done, the alpha lifts the omega, tightly covered by the towels. Akko’s skin is still hot to touch but it isn’t as high as before.

_Her back would ache if I just leave her there on the couch,_ was Diana's reasoning, opening the door to her side of the room and gently placing the brunette on the center of her bed. Seeing such a vulnerable omega in her bed makes her aware of the growing possessiveness bubbling up inside, pride and love filling her to the brim that it makes her heart burst. Her thoughts are cut off however when Akko twitches on her pillow, shivering. 

“Right,” Diana steps back to the door, eyeing the shivering omega as though she might disappear. “You need your blanket. Sit tight.”

The alpha goes through the living room again, smelling the strong scent of sex that hung in the air, reminding her about what she just did to Akko just moments ago, and Diana’s cheeks burn up a storm, realization finally striking her mind. Diana almost faints. 

_O-Oh Nines,_ the heiress thinks, bringing a hand up to palm her face as she grabs the discarded pink quilt on the other side of the soiled couch. _What have I done!? I-I shouldn’t have done that. Nines, I just broke the rules! I just touched Akko! Who is an omega! In heat! From another team! Shit, I’m screwed, I am so screwed, what the bloody hell was I thinking!? Just because Akko was in heat, I shouldn’t have fucked her! Oh, Nines, if the school knows about this, I would get suspended, worse, expelled! Hello? An alpha sleeping with an omega in heat!? I might as well burn down the labs and I would still be able to save myself! Not that touching with Akko wasn’t nice,_ **_gods I want to touch her again,_ ** _but oh gods, I’m screwed, so so so screwed, what have I done I’m such an idiot--- THIS SCENT!_

From Diana’s currently spiraling thoughts, a different ranged scent of strawberries and blossoms comes up to her nose, snapping her out of it. She looks down to the quilt in her hands, eyeing the piece of clothing as though it came from the skies. Shit, it smells so good. 

Without thinking again (this has been a really common occurrence now), Diana has the quilt underneath her nose, taking deep careful sniffs. She inhales deeply, thirstily, trying to memorize the scent as though she might forget. _So good,_ she thinks after a particularly long sniff, completely obsessed and before she knows it, the door of the blue team dorm opens.

_Shit._

Hannah and Barbara, in their full prefect uniforms, stare owlishly at their leader smelling at a pink-colored quilt, who quickly froze upon seeing them. “H-Hey, Diana,” Hannah calls, very much aware of the scent of sex hanging heavily in the room. “We’re done with the tasks you gave us. The festival is almost ending. Sooo we were looking where you were.”

_Oooooh shit._ Diana blanches, straightening her back to feign composure, despite having just made a fool out of herself in front of her closest colleagues. _The festival! Sweet Beatrix, I almost forgot about it._ She hides the quilt behind her back, gripping the soft sheet so tightly her knuckles are white. “Yes, um--” An awkward clearing of the throat. “Thank you for telling me, girls, and doing the job. I’ll--”

A sudden high pitched sound erupts from the door of Diana’s room, making the two betas flinch in surprise as their eyes move from their leader and to the direction of the moan, unnoticing how the alpha’s ears turn into a hot shade of red. _Already!?_

Silence, then Diana sees the flash of recognition in Barbara's eyes. “Is that Akko--”

“You two! Can you please tell Teresa to cover up for me for the rest of the night?” The alpha was very, _very_ desperate now to save her currently burning picture and pride, yet alas, that _scent_ comes in and starts pulling her into her room. She’s already behind the door. “And please put up a scent and sound barrier before going out. Please. That is an order.”

**SLAM!** went the door, the alpha disappearing from their sights.

And with that, she didn’t have to tell them, was that; leaving the blue team betas by the door with wide eyes, wondering what the fuck was happening before another obscene moan echoes from Diana’s room. Hannah has her mouth wide open while Barbara’s eyes were wide with shock before going to take the door’s handle and shutting their dorm close before they could anymore. 

Hannah turns to Barbara. “You think the purple team would let us have a sleepover with them for tonight?”

“We’d have to beg. No way am I gonna sleep here.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE'VE HIT 15K+ HITS AND 900 KUDOS!!! YA'LL ARE BOTH INSANE AND AWESOME! Thanks to everyone who liked this fanfic and supported it through comments, fanarts, and likes! I hope a blessed new year to all!
> 
> Now onto A/N: Yes, an omega in Heat begging for an alpha is still the same thing as intoxication-induced sex. An omega in Heat begging for an alpha to fuck them is not a valid reason for an alpha that does not belong to their pack to mate with them because god forbid, it'll ruin their whole dynamic. But for Luna Nova, I guess it's not as a deep taboo as others might consider it to be, considering how the ratio of alphas to omegas in the environment is 10:1. However, should the omega recognize the alpha and the alpha to be considered as a close friend, this... chapter's consequence wouldn't be as heavy for Diana... probably.
> 
> Diana's a genuinely a dumbass, tbh.
> 
> Well, we'll wait for next week. ;))
> 
> Edit: 
> 
> Honestly, it's hilarious how most of you are wondering if Diana's packing anything. If you're in my Discord then female alpha science has already been explained there inside the ABO science channel. However, if you haven't, then I'll give an overview of female alpha anatomy here:
> 
> Yes, female alphas can procreate here in this universe. However, my rules are that a female alpha cannot procreate unless they are producing sperm. In order for their penis to activate, they have to actually produce sperm for it to be usable. And for their testicles to activate, it needs the usual chemicals a males have; that is, doubled testosterone shots. The common female alpha could only achieve this once they hit their rut cycle, when their hormones are driving them to mate and procreate, or when it's the season for them to sire pups. Once they start to rut, their cognium glandis will release the chemicals that they need to produce sperm, thus this makes them have a penis grown. It's a magic cock basically, haha!
> 
> FAQ's:
> 
> -Since alpha witches are magical, can't they just magick their cocks?
> 
> Yes, they can, but as I have said before, they need certain chemicals for it to activate. So should an alpha witch Metamorphie Faciesse their cocks outside of their rut cycle, it would most likely backfire and cause side-effects for the alpha witch, such as erectile dysfunctions, messed-up cycles, mood swings, as well as cases of testosterone poisoning. Once the alpha witch forces their otherwise sterile body into siring pups, it would often cause musths, which are conditions wherein the alpha becomes highly aggressive along with the rise of reproductive hormones. So forced like this makes the alpha become feral, a big no-no in the magical society. If another person forces the alpha to do this outside of their cycle, it would come off as rape.
> 
> -If the female alphas want to sire, can't they just get pregnant?
> 
> Now, this isn't just the Dom Alpha trait I'm taking from here, but rather I'm taking it from the anomaly that is an alpha soul in a female's body. In this universe, alphas are providers first before hunters. They are driven to procreate and protect their sires. Therefore they are built much sturdier than the other dynamics. Alpha witches especially so! And along with being able to do magic, they should be one of the strongest types of people out there. The backfire here is that alpha women are not as fertile as female betas or omegas. That is why when an alpha couple wants a child, it's nearly impossible to conceive due to the fact that a female alpha's estrogen and progesterone levels aren't sufficient enough to raise a child.
> 
> Of course, this is possible now in my universe due to advancements in science, but primarily, female alphas aren't meant to carry children. I believe it's the lack of estrogen and progesterone in them that makes them unsuitable to carry a child, and this varies among alphas. Other alphas have enough female hormones (such as LH and FSH) to be able to get their mammary glands to produce milk and widen their hips for childbirth but others have so low female hormones that they're often borderline male alphas. 
> 
> So yeah, there is it, brief A/B/O science about female alphas. :))


	13. Burning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ah, yes, I actually finished the damn chapter before I actually damaged my mental health. Though at the price of that, guys, I'm sorry to inform you that this story will take a brief hiatus in the next weeks. A lot of stuff is going on and I've been wanting to do other stuff at the moment (that, and whenever I see my draft for chapter 14, I hurl). Also, I apologize for not providing the usual art, like I said, it's been busy.
> 
> But I hope this chapter has provided you enough to compensate for my inability to be able to weekly write a chapter for Heat. Rest assured, I won't ever leave this AU behind, just slight delays here and there. That's all! I bid everyone a happy new year! May 2021 not drag us by the neck.

Out of the two hundred and twelve alumni witches, a good third are alphas. Less than fifty are still unmated, which means there are about thirty full-grown alphas ready to sniff out the three present omegas on the field. Chariot kept a careful eye on any alphas watching one of them, though she thinks their mates are doing more than an exemplary job at that. 

_This is taking too long,_ the Frenchwoman thinks, peering down at her watch to see that it was nearly 8 o’clock and she wasn’t back in the dorm to take care of her student yet. _Gods, I hope you’re doing okay in there, Akko. Wait for me, please!_

As the professor kept glancing at her watch to see how fast the hands would tick for this to end, from the corner of her eye, she immediately sees an alpha alumni, unmated, suddenly bump into Sola a little too hard, causing her juice of sparkling wine to splash all over the omega. Chariot’s attention snaps up immediately at Sola’s yelp of surprise.

“Oh! I-I’m so sorry!” The older alpha says, beginning to get frantic as she takes out a handkerchief to wipe the juice off of the student’s face. “Are you okay!?”

Sola lets the alpha touch her face, stiffly standing as the other alpha’s scent surrounds her. “Uh, yes, I am, there’s no need for you to do this…” 

That didn’t stop the older witch from wiping the drink on her face (seriously, the smell of pumpkin would last for days) but when her hand dabs on the spot under her jaw, something in the alpha strike herself still, staring down at the omega. _She caught her scent!_ Chariot holds her breath, her hand already touching the hilt of her wand to intervene. 

The omega carefully watches the alpha staring down at her, locked in a gaze before she suddenly felt somebody behind her. “Excuse me, miss?” Rashmi’s voice says, her scent slicing through the older alpha’s, making her look up from the omega. The younger alpha places a hand on the small of Sola’s back. “We’ll take it from here. Please go back to your seat.”

The older witch watches Rashmi, studying her before her eyes fall to how her hand shifts from the omega’s back and makes home on her shoulder. Then she realizes what was going on. “Okay, uh, I--” She clears her throat and smiles at the two, pulling her handkerchief away from the spot under the omega’s jaw. “I’m sorry, I was being mindless. I’m going back now. You kids have fun.”

Chariot watches the alpha trudge back to her seat, carrying the half-empty drink and slight disappointment to her steps. She sighs in relief and lets go of her wand before glancing back at Rashmi and Sola, the latter looking like she was mouthing a ‘thanks’ to the alpha. _Rashmi handled that far more peacefully than I thought,_ the professor thinks as she stares at them for a bit before going back to write the event on her notepad. 

It was like that for a few more moments, alternating between the three omegas and scrutinizing any alpha that caught wind of their diluted scents. She knows that even on suppressants, an alpha’s sense of smell could still catch on; alpha witches are built so naturally cunning that way, it was scary. 

Chariot glances at her watch for the nth time that night. Time seems to drag on so painfully slow, and right in front of her was a talent show! It’s everything she was excited for ten years ago yet right now all she could think if her omega student was doing alright in her nest. At least she had her new blanket to play with; but knowing Akko, she would get bored of it quickly. 

Wangari commentates from above about the next show, which fortunately for Chariot, was the last one. “--It’s been a long night, everybody but at last, the final performance is here! Give it up for our Turquoise team!” The yells and cries of the crowd deafen Chariot’s ears but she persists in staking out and watching the omegas before something chills inside her, running down from the base of her brain and down to her spine.

Chariot gasps, the pen in her grasp nearly falling away as she realizes that the tug in her stomach changed into something else. _Something’s happening,_ Chariot thinks, tearing her eyes away from the omega lookout and down to the building where she could see the roofs of the dorm. _Nines, no. Not this night of all nights,_ Chariot thinks as fear grips her heart in a vice, and immediately runs off, of course, not without a special omega charm on the three omegas on the field. 

On the other side of the field, the same chill comes down onto Lotte and Sucy’s spines, snapping their attention off the ground where they were mindlessly walking, watching the castle beyond the tree as something inside their stomachs drops. A new subtle scent was in the air and they recognized it. It was the same uncomfortable heat pheromones Akko was releasing the night before; only this time it was just as worse. They share a shocked glance and burst into a sprint on the field, not minding the stares they got from the passerby prefects. 

“Oh Nines, what did you get yourself into this time, Akko?!” Lotte whispers harshly as they enter the halls towards the courtyard, relieved to find the lit place empty, yet it doesn’t stop their feet from pounding as fast as they could to their dorm. As the beta was about to put a comment about Professor Chariot’s presence when they sensed her scent coming from behind them. 

“Lotte! Sucy!” Chariot’s voice calls through the hall and the red team turns back to see her just as alarmed, her eyes flashing behind her glasses in fear but nowhere near their dorm. 

“Professor Chariot!?” Lotte exclaims, in disbelief at the sight of the professor. Sucy was just as appalled. “What are you doing here? A-Akko is--”

“Alone, I know that,” Chariot interrupts, face falling into regret as she pushes her glasses back up to the bridge of her nose. “I forgot a job I was supposed to do tonight for the Headmistress, so I left her for a bit and apparently…” She sighs and palms her face. “It took me too long.”

“Christ, and I thought Akko was the scatterbrained one,” Sucy mumbles, and Chariot takes the jab like a pro. Lotte, however, jabs an elbow at the alpha’s ribs for Chariot’s sake.

“Sucy! We don’t have time for this, Akko’s scent is out there again!” Lotte scolds.

Chariot nods. “A-Agreed. I think it would be better if we separate to see if we can cover a lot more areas. For all we know, Akko might outside,” Her hands twitch before curling into a shaking fist. As crescents dug into her palm, the redhead continues, “Lotte, you take the cafeteria and the classrooms. Sucy, you will go to your dorm areas to see if Akko is still there. If you find anyone suspicious, contact both of us immediately. I’ll go see the libraries and the other dorms.”

The beta and alpha nods from the professor’s instructions and the trio dispersed in the directions Chariot told them to be. Racing to the dining hall, Lotte was quick to mutter out a spell to strengthen her olfactory sense, jutting her nose out to smell anything related to the current smell that is wearing thin. On the other side of the castle, Chariot has her wand ready to dispel other people who caught wind of Akko’s scent but fortunately, she saw no one yet. 

Sucy does not pound her feet away on the ground as she walks over to the red team’s dormitory. The way her muscles became frigid, however, is obvious to anyone that the alpha is alert, vigilant for any disturbances on the way to the nest. 

And as she sniffs the air again, Sucy stiffens, pupils dilating as she realizes another scent lacing within the remnants of Akko’s scent. In its frightened crevices is the scent of _another alpha._ A primal guttural sound growls out from the twitching sneer growing in the edges of Sucy’s mouth, and for once, she jogs. 

  
  


***

  
  


The first thing Chloe notices when she comes to is the numb aching of her left cheek slowly waking her up. Should she face a mirror, she would see how it turned into an ugly purple bruise. The one thing that made the peach team alpha sit up however was the memory of who gave her this bruise in the first place. 

Chloe’s face contorts into a glare, brows furrowing deeply between her eyes as she ignores how her bitch-aching cheek worsens. _That damn Cavendish,_ the alpha thinks as she finally stands up from her spot on the ground, her sense of smell coming back full-force but she could tell that _it_ was gone. Her previous angry scent, the omega’s citrusy scent, and Diana’s disappeared without a trace. Even the earlier scuffle between her and Akko had been lifted off the walls. 

Chloe’s hands curl into fists as she shakes from the rage of humiliation, but after a few deep breaths, the anger in her face subsides, attempting to calm herself down. The hate for the Cavendish was still ever-present but Chloe knew it was safer to mask her anger; for now. 

Growling, the alpha trudges down the hall to the flight of stairs where she remembers the omega had thrown her wand, patting her uniform off of dust whilst. And there it is. Chloe’s brow twitches in annoyance. _Even in heat, that Kagari girl is still conscious enough to put up a fight,_ she concludes, working out her wand to see if it had suffered from being thrown ungraciously. As Chloe swings it around, she notices the remaining scent of the omega on the handle of her wand. Faster than she could think, she already has it under her nose. 

_She was disgusted... and frightened,_ the alpha deduces as she sniffs onto the part where Akko had grabbed her wand to throw. As much as she hated the girl, as always, the scent of an omega in heat had Chloe _obsessed._ She grins. _So frightened. I could’ve_ ** _had_ **_her. But apparently, Cavendish has other plans._

After reworking the magic into her wand, she finally uses a healing spell on the bruise on her face. While she wasn’t as skillful into healing magic as Diana was, she wasn’t the proud heiress of the De Louvre family for no reason. Throw in a scent-blocking spell in there too. She reeks of omega. The ache in Chloe’s cheek finally dulls down into a numb throb while her scent turns neutral and she notices the faint mushroom scent seeping into the staircase behind her.

Her knuckles turn white from the aggravating scent of another alpha judging her from behind, watching her like an owl. Chloe hates being stalked but hostility is going to reign suspicion. And besides, Chloe would be stupid to fight with the alpha of the omega she just tried to choke to unconsciousness. She turns a heel to face a very pissed-off looking Sucy. “Hello, Manbavaran. Can I help you?”

If looks could kill, either of them would be murdered right now. The corner of Sucy’s mouth twitches at how the other alpha feigns ignorance at something because Sucy’s gut _knows_ Chloe just did something that relates to _whatever the fuck_ is happening right now but what proof does she have? Chloe didn’t smell like anything. Must’ve used a scent-blocking spell. So the red team alpha replies instead, “Probably not. But just to make sure, did you smell anything weird around these parts?”

Chloe forces herself to remain neutral instead of tackling the other alpha down to the ground and beat her up senseless _for keeping a damn omega within these walls,_ and she does so successfully. “Not that I notice.”

Sucy’s lips purse in irritation. “Oh yeah? You didn’t? Well, why the hell are you here then? You’re chief of the business committee, not the prefect.”

Jackass. “I don’t think that it's your business to know, Manbavaran. Now if you’ll excuse me, I still have the booths to overlook,” Chloe passes by her, her vicious purple eyes peering into a pair of apathetic red ones. A subtle taunt, one that shows the barest glint of anger because oh yes, she _knows_ what they _keep._

There was something fun about seeing other alphas react to any of her taunts given to them, but much like the dual-haired cunt of an heiress, Sucy is also an alpha of strong-will. Unlike Rajani, Amanda, Rita, Sarah… Pretty much any other alpha here in Luna Nova, but the red team alpha did not react anything about her, and instead just watched her leave through the staircase. Not even a change of her scent. 

_Huh,_ Chloe thinks as she goes down the stairs, marching her way to the clinic to get a pack of ice to nurse her bruising her cheek. Of course, not without a precaution of putting an invisibility spell on her person to avoid suspicion. _Well, that was anticlimactic. For an alpha with an omega teammate, Manbavaran is very apathetic._

Little did she know, however, it took each trained successful will of the red team alpha not to hurl an entire vial of skin-melting poison into her face. “Motherfucker,” Sucy hisses, the vein underneath her hair pulsing as she clamps down on the inside of her cheek so harshly, she could taste the metal pooling in her tongue. She takes Chloe's warning, however, and immediately runs up the stairs and into the hall of their dorm. 

The first thing she notices is the broken iron lock of the doorknob. Sucy holds her breath and rips open the door only to see the nest; _empty_. Her heart drops as she steps inside the room, her single clear eye-widening with shock as she inspects the space as a pulled grenade starts ticking down in the back of her head. The room didn’t look like a fight had occurred. Then it must’ve happened outside...

Slamming down the door of the nest and fixing it shut with a snap of her wand, Sucy immediately runs down to where she saw that _bitch_ went, a toxic potion right in her claws, but all she saw is an empty hallway, tinted by the warm gold of the candles. 

“Fucking bitch!” The red team alpha curses, her scent turning absolutely rancid. Through the anger veiling her eyes, she sees her wand blinking green; Professor Chariot has given them a signal.

  
  


***

  
  


Chariot is already on the other side of the castle when the lingering scent of Akko disappears, leaving her with no other trails left but back towards the dorm. She wipes the sweat away from her brow and groans. The brunette really had her running amok everywhere. 

But she won’t stop yet. Sucy hadn’t lit a signal for them just yet, so Chariot trudges on the dorms. She knew this was the more affluent part of the dorm, where most alphas are situated. It was a long shot to investigate here yet Chariot knows that in heat, Akko’s nose would lead her to where the strongest alpha scent was. That is... if she got passed through the locks. Akko got through yesterday, it would be no surprise that Akko would get through tonight, even with the extra layer of magic on the iron. It would take some magical force to get it to break. 

“I shouldn't have left her by herself,” Chariot whispers to herself with a grind on her teeth and continues walking through the halls. As she looks around the dormitory, she hears harsh whispers coming from another corner of a diverging hall. Chariot’s footsteps become faster, the whispers becoming clearer as her hand inches to her wand.

Then she smells them; almonds and tea. _Diana’s teammates._

“Oh, it’s just you girls,” Chariot relaxes and turns the corner, her figure illuminated by the candles lighting up the area and there she sees the beta pair freezing. She sees them. They see her, pausing like she caught them smuggling in contraband. 

There was a pregnant silence engulfing them as they stared at each other like owls. 

“Professor Chariot! Hello!” Hannah breaks the silence first with a cracking voice, quickly blinking out of her stupor of seeing a faculty member on the other end of the hallway. “We were just um--”

“We were just going back to the field!” Barbara nods rapidly when she catches Hannah’s panicked glance. “We had to go back to our dorm to get some, uh, stuff with Diana.” Then they both laugh awkwardly, nodding at each other like they were sharing an inside joke.

Chariot smiles, relieved, if not a bit surprised on why they were talking so fast. “It’s okay, girls,” She briefly wonders if she should ask them if they have smelled Akko, but that would make them question her looking. Nonetheless, it shouldn’t hurt to ask. “Although if you don’t mind me asking, have you smelled anything different past this area?”

It was harmless, or so Chariot thought. She expected a quick answer out of the pair but instead they freeze up again, eyes widening in disbelief. Chariot tilts her head. Barbara stammers out, “N-No, we didn’t, sorry Professor but we should really get going now…”

The beta duo tries to walk by the professor but as soon as they are a few feet away, Chariot smells _it._ Wisps of heat pheromones, as well as the faint gush of strawberries. Chariot’s jaw drops.

“Wait, girls,” She calls, her tone serious and stony, freezing Hannah and Barbara in their tracks. She gulps when she can still smell Akko on them, and just a figment of her imagination. “Where-- Where were you before?”

Silence. Then slowly, Hannah turns and says, “Um, our dorm.”

Chariot’s face pales. “And where is _Diana_?”

“In our dorm-- _mmph!”_ Hannah couldn’t finish her bit when Barbara slaps a hand over her mouth but that was all Chariot needs to get her gears to an upstart.

Chariot turns to the end of the hall where the blue team’s dorm awaits, already thinking of the worse. Before she can kick it down, however, Barbara takes a deep nosedive to the floor and grabs on her legs. “Professor Chariot, it’s not what you think!”

Hannah snags her arm. “W-We should go back to the field now! The festival is almost ending, Diana can take care of herself!”

“Girls, calm down, I am just going to see and check if--” Chariot grunts as she continues dragging herself down to the door. It was hard ignoring the two betas basically latching themselves on her, Barbara getting towed on the floor from clutching at her ankle and Hannah trying to reign the professor by yanking back her left wrist, but Chariot _just needs to know if her nightmares are becoming true right now--_ “Girls, let go!”

“Noooooo!”

“Profesor Chariot, no!”

“Yes!” Chariot yells as she finally gets to the door after a grievous amount of time, raising her free leg and kicks the door down. The impact from her brute kick alone is strong enough for it to swing open, slamming on the other side with a big BANG!

And the scent from the room surrounds them. Searing heat pheromones are _everywhere,_ all around Chariot, so strong and hot that it stings her eyes. But what makes her blanche is the fact that it’s _different_. Back in the red team dorm, the scent was rather desperate, submissive, and true in the nature of an omega. Here, however, it is just as sharp and hot, and most of all, _satisfied._

“Nines, what have I done,” Chariot whispers hoarsely, horror written all across her face as Akko’s-- her _student’s_ scent is all around her, the perfect range of a very, _very_ satisfied omega in heat. 

To rub salt into the bleeding, dripping wound, some entity in the sky told her ‘fuck you’ and lets Chariot hear a high-pitched moan on the other side of the large dorm room. A moan that she knows very well whom it belongs to.

“We’re fucked,” Barbara whispers from the ground as Chariot feels the dark-haired beta’s hand loosen from her ankles. She kicks it off and shakes Hannah off of her arm and goes _straight_ for the heiress’s door leading to the room where Akko’s voice was reverberating. 

The nightmare that Chariot tried so hard to get away laying there with one twist of a knob. _By the Nines, Diana better not be inside there as well--_

“AKKO--!!!”

“EEK!”

Like Death just came and stole away the remaining air in her lungs, Chariot stands frozen by the door as she sees the _half-naked,_ ** _alpha_** heiress quickly falling off the side of the bed and landing hard on her back. Right in the middle of sheets and cushion is Akko, naked except for the quilt she gave her covering her up, blinking blearily at the older omega then turning to the alpha quickly losing color at the side of the bed. Chariot barely registers she has swung her wand to send a signal. 

“ _Pro-pro-pro-professor Chariot!_ ” Diana squeaks fear stronger than any lust gripping at her throat as the professor stupors at her door. She glances at Akko then at the professor before raising her hands, a sign of admission. “Th-This is-- I-- This isn’t what you think! I-I--Ah!”

In her stammering, Akko suddenly jumps from the bed and to her lap, dragging her blanket with her to cover her back yet her front was bare, rubbing against Diana’s in a way that makes the blood come rushing back up to her face. Chariot’s jaw drops even further. 

“A-Akko, not right now--” Diana couldn’t even finish because Akko suddenly shoves her face into the heiress’ neck and _purrs_. A light rumbling sound so soothing to the alpha’s ears that she almost forgets that a _faculty staff was standing right by her door witnessing_ ** _all_ **_of this._

The tension and fear stilling the heiress melts away almost immediately, Akko’s scent turning into something sweeter, more enticing that it leaves Diana lightheaded. Soon, the omega pulls away and looks into the alpha’s eyes. “Alpha~...”

_That_ went straight to her groin. Diana’s lust comes back in near full-throttle, strangling her rationality to the point she doesn’t even notice how her hands are already back to Akko’s waist, fitting like two pieces of a puzzle. _Fuck, if this is how I’m going to die, I would gladly take Professor’s Murowa to the head,_ the alpha thinks, staring into those red eyes clouded with lust. Nothing on this vile, unfair planet could feed her in the way those _bare, open_ legs do. 

Just when Diana thinks she could pull the omega in another heated make-out session, the heavy **THUMP** on the other side of the room makes her remember that she was being watched doing the exact thing her title as de facto alpha told her _not_ to do. In a precise bolt of consciousness, Diana manages to push Akko away, looking back to where the _horrible_ sound of someone falling came from. 

Chariot’s face was planted on the ground, unconscious. It wasn’t the first time Diana made someone faint because of her actions but twice in one night was turning the night of Samhain pretty ridiculous, if you ask her. “O-Oh Nines,” the heiress whispers in horror, carefully pulling herself up whilst pushing Akko down back on the bed. The omega obeys and just starts to roll around in her blanket. 

Hannah and Barbara slowly poke their heads into Diana’s quarters, staring at the unconscious Chariot Du Nord on Diana’s doorstep. The blue team shares a concerned glance. 

“Should we borrow a shovel?” Hannah suggests, hands flying around and fidgeting, almost smacking Barbara in the process. “I know a perfect spot where we could bury her. It’s behind the gardens.”

Diana stares at her teammate. “What?”  
  


“Christ, Han’, no!” Barbara whispers. Diana sighs in relief before taking it back by hearing her next words. “Burying takes too much time. I learned from Geography the other day that there’s a nearby magical lake near Luna Nova. We could just dump it there.”

“What are you two talking about!?” Diana exclaims, paling at her friends’ suggestion of hiding Chariot Du Nord’s very much alive body. “We aren’t going to _drown_ or _bury_ anyone!”

Barbara and Hannah are looking at her like she’s dense. “Well, what are we gonna do then!?” Barbara gestures to the omega currently rolling in the bed and scenting Diana’s pillow. “Diana, you _slept_ with someone!” _Jesus, no need to rub it in._ “And the professor saw it!”

Hannah was staring at Akko like she came from space, then looked at Diana. She points a shaking finger to the omega. “Is Akko actually…?”

“Yes, she’s an omega,” Diana sighs tiredly, rubbing her very red cheek as Barbara and Hannah side-glances at Akko. When Hannah opens her mouth to ask, the heiress quickly says, “Look, I am just as surprised as you but Akko needs help. Ch-Chloe, she…” Her hands balled into fists on her sides, the whiteness of her knuckles not missing by the betas. Through the haze of omega pheromones, the omega in heat in the room was exuding, the betas could still recognize the damping pheromones of the alpha.

Obviously, something happened. Hannah and Barbara share a glance before going back to Diana, whose lips were pursed in a tight frown, scowling to the floor. Then Diana sighs, this one of admittance. “I’ll tell you girls later,” The alpha crouches down and slowly lifts the unconscious professor off the ground. The betas immediately helped. “Right now, we should have the Professor lay down in one of the beds. You go back to the field. I’ll take care of Akko’s hea--”

“Take care of Akko’s _what,_ Diana?”

The blue team freezes immediately from the new voice, almost dropping the professor in the process. They slowly crane their necks to the door where, to the betas’ surprise, and the alpha’s horror, stood the rest of the red team.

“Take care of Akko’s _what,_ Diana?” Sucy asks again, and _Oh Nines, her face._ There is a sense of vibration in the air as the red team’s devastatingly angry pheromones rush into the dorm, the sheer force of the alpha waving out the scent of sex but something tells Diana that it wasn’t just Sucy. 

“Now Sucy, calm down,” Lotte’s eerily calm voice cuts through the anger, then Diana realizes that most of the animosity came from _her_ , not from the other. Something sharp glints in one of Lotte’s hands. “Diana may have kidnapped Akko from our dorm, but at least she’s _mildly decent_ by sparing Professor Chariot the stress.”

Diana’s face is as white as a sheet of paper, sweat already gathering on her forehead as she stares at the red team. She glances back and forth from the red team and to Professor Chariot, Hannah and Barbara holding the professor’s legs and her with her shoulders, finally realizing how suspicious they looked. That, and Diana’s out of her vest and her dress shirt is heavily creased and unbuttoned at the top. Her brain finally does its job of processing the shitstorm that was about to come. 

Diana’s breath stutters. “S-Sucy, Lotte, this isn’t what you think--”

Barbara turns from them and hisses, “I told you we should’ve gone to the lake!”

“ _Bloody Hell,_ Barbara,” Diana almost just had about enough for one night. When she thought she could take on the pressure of being one of the Chairwomen of the festival, it seems she didn’t prepare herself enough for tonight’s chaos. 

“Enough of this bullshit!” Sucy yells, sharp teeth-baring out in rage as she snaps open her wand in one hand and pops open a vial of suspicious green substance in the other. “Give us Akko back or so help me, I’ll fucking burn this entire dorm down with Greek Fire!”

“Wait, what!?” Hannah exclaims and Sucy glares at her, the wand in the red team alpha’s hand picking up an ominous flaming spark. Lotte looks just as furious and brings up a kitchen knife. 

“AHH! Where the hell did you get that!?” Barbara shrieks, cringing at the sight. 

“I just ran from the cafeteria with the signal that said Professor Chariot was here!” Lotte growls back, not as menacing as her teammate alpha but the tone in her voice delivered her anger just as good. She points the knife at them (seriously, how did the faeries let the red team do all this!?). “What are you going to do with her!?”

“N-Nothing! We were just putting her in one of the couches!” Hannah yelps. 

“The couches…” Sucy glances to the blue sofa bed in the middle of the dorm, the one where Diana remembers putting… Akko… then getting… 

**_Fuck._ **

Sucy seems to pick up the same conclusion by smelling the air. Then her angry, rancid scent _spikes_ , Hannah and Barbara almost faltering their grip on the unconscious professor. Diana is perturbed by how strong the red team alpha’s scent became. 

“You fucking _slut_ !” Sucy growls at Diana, and it takes all of the heiress’s countenance not to get too offended by how strongly the other alpha went in her territory, knowing she’s already done something utterly unforgivable for someone of her status. “You fucking _slept_ with her!?”

Lotte’s jaw goes slack, through the shine of her glasses, her eyes widened in shock. 

Diana gasps and gently places Chariot on the floor. “That-- I-- It wasn’t on _purpose_!” 

“Oh, so you’re saying Akko is the one who fucking jumped on you!? Not you, the sober alpha, but the omega in heat!?” Sucy spats remorselessly, claws out, and ready to rip everything apart inside the dorm. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t pour all this fucking gas and combust this room myself, Cavendish.”

“Well, for one,” Diana sucks in a breath to calm herself, heart hammering so hard in her chest on how much pressure the omega’s teammates were exuding. “ _Akko_ is in here.”

“And where is she?” At the mention of her teammate, Lotte’s tone turns softer, more concerned. Still threatening, though. 

“She’s napping in my bed,” And with that, the aggression comes back. Sucy’s growling turns deeper, almost shaking the room with her barely-contained anger. Lotte’s knife rises again and Diana could almost picture it puncturing her chest each time she laid a hand on Akko. “I didn’t do anything else to her! I swear. And second,” Diana motions to the unconscious professor on the ground. “Can we get her on somewhere more comfortable than our floor please?”

They stare at the heiress for a few more aggravating seconds, and finally, _finally,_ Diana could see the bare glint of conceding in their eyes. 

Once a single Chariot Du Nord is situated more normally in Hannah’s bed, Diana immediately told the blue team betas to go back to the field after setting a scent-blocking charm around them to avoid any more confrontation with another faculty staff. Then Diana’s off to the lions. 

The sound-proof and scent-proof barrier around the room was another obvious reminder for each depraved thing she had done this past hour alone comes with a price. The glares from the red team also remind her that it’s also going to be depressingly expensive. 

Diana sits in her usual chair of the dorm, and the only thing separating her from the red team is the wooden coffee table between them. The stares they were sending her way is scathing, an untold threat to make her realize the peril she’s going to climb.

The blue team alpha clears her throat. “Um, I apo--”

“Button your damn shirt first,” Sucy barks, steely gaze leaving Diana offended that she was ordering _her_ around in _her_ territory. Then again, Diana slept with their omega teammate who is in heat. 

So she didn’t get to have enough room to argue and buttons the rest of her uniform. She does not move to get her vest, however, and that is as good of a defiance Diana is going to get out of the duo. 

They were pissed, and for a very good reason. And Diana plans to atone for it in some way. She takes a deep breath as sweat breaks from her glands. The red team is all but ready to lunge at her and rip her face to shreds so she begins. “I know what this all may look like but I swear, it isn’t.” 

“You’ve said that before, Diana,” Lotte sighs. Despite being a beta, Lotte could very well recognize the scent of sex in the dorm, along with the very prominent heat pheromones that she could recognize from their dorm’s nest. It makes her cringe that the reason for _this_ is the once-elegant heiress in front of her. It makes her want to do the _worst_ of things. Such as throwing the knife on the coffee table right at the heiress’s face. 

“Uh, yes, I did,” The blue team alpha rubs her temple. “Look. I didn’t mean to bring Akko here. I mean, I did! But it was _unprompted_.”

“‘Unprompted’? Really?” Sucy snarks then slam her fist on the recliner. “ _Bullshit!_ You know there’s an omega here in Luna Nova! Since when have you known that it was Akko!?”

Diana blanches. She was sinking _fast_. “J-Just tonight! I may be an alpha but I do know that an omega’s safety is compromised here in Luna Nova,” She continues. “I had to bring her here to my dorm because the wards are a lot stronger due to my magic. As you can see,” Diana brings her wand up and whirls the sound-barrier charm to her will. As the red team glanced around, they could clearly see a more perfect sound-barrier than the one Chariot had set up in their dorm. “No one could absolutely break in here. Not to my will.”

Sucy is not impressed, however. Her glare does not falter and nods to the unconscious professor. “And Professor Chariot?” 

Diana doesn’t miss a beat. “She fainted.”

“She fainted!?” Lotte and Sucy exclaim in disbelief. 

“She did!” Diana raises her arms in a sign of admittance. “Look for any concussion or residue of magic. She lost consciousness on her own.”

There is a pregnant pause after that, the pair looking at Diana contemplatively before Lotte glances at Sucy. “Well she is French,” Diana smiles, having finally resolved about what happened to the teacher. Unfortunately, after that false sense of relief, Lotte quickly points at her. “You, however,” The once meek-looking beta known to have infinite patience as one of Akko’s best friends turns red, face scrunching up in a way that makes Diana realizes, _oh she is very,_ **_very_ **_angry._ “YOU’RE AN ALPHA SON OF A BITCH! WHAT YOU DID _ISN’T_ OKAY!”

And for once, the beta’s patience has worn thin. Sucy doesn’t budge and leaves Diana to face all of the fire that is Lotte Jansson. She tries to save herself. “I-I know that--”

“SO YOU _DO!_ SO I DON’T HAVE TO LECTURE YOU ABOUT THE WHOLE SPIEL THAT A HEAT-DRUNK OMEGA SAYING ‘YES’ ISN’T CONSENT! YET WHAT THE _FUCK_ IS THAT ON THE COUCH!?”

Diana felt like dying. She did not have the emotional capacity yet to face the mess Akko did on one of their couches, the obvious puddle of the omega’s relief very much open to any eye watching. Diana _is_ dying. “I-I…” There was some kind of excuse she made up at some point in her brain but it died in a pathetic croak at her tongue.

Lotte’s bullet berate didn’t relent yet. Oh, she had a _lot_ to say to this pathetic excuse of a de facto alpha. “YOU FUCKED AN OMEGA! THAT ISN’T ON YOUR TEAM! THAT IS IN HEAT!” _Jesus Christ, are all Nightfall fans this direct?_ “DO I NEED MORE TO SAY ABOUT THIS!?”

Diana is dying eternally. Let her rest. Please. Preferably in Akko’s arms. But then Sucy and Lotte would murder her before she could be another meter near her again. She’d die before she could die the way she wants. “I-I assure you, I tried--”

“TRIED! YOU CALL THAT TRYING!?”

“Keep it coming, Lotte,” Sucy says from her side, still not dropping her glare at the heiress. 

“Oh, I’m sure they were both ‘coming’ tonight, alright,” Lotte puffs after putting in all that effort screaming. Diana sinks in her seat at the last bit, her face now blossoming into a bright red. “I mean, how-- how did you even get to her here!? _Why even?!_ An omega shouldn’t be taken from their nest! Even if your dorm is much more protective of some kind, that still isn’t enough for you to fucking smuggle her halfway across the school!”

Diana purses her lips, getting yelled out clearly taking a massive toll on her patience. She genuinely wasn’t used to getting cut-off by anybody _but_ Akko. Sweet Beatrix, give me strength. “Look, this entire situation is bad. And I understand that. One of the school’s rules as de facto alpha is being noble, and I have completely broken that,” The heiress heaves a heavy sigh. Her scent suddenly changes into a damp one, and the red team duo immediately notices the shift. “But what else could I have done? Leave her there with _Chloe_?”

After that comes a long stretch of silence, the red team left to stare at the heiress, shocked for mentioning the other alpha. Like her name is a hushed secret in the school. Sucy’s gaze hardens and notices the blue team alpha’s fist curling in her lap, eyes showing a bare scowl. 

“Chloe? She was there with fucking _Chloe_?” The red team alpha leans forward, her aggression finally turning away from Diana even if it was just a bit. 

Diana faces her gaze properly, nodding solemnly, lips pursed in a tight frown. “Yes. I, um, encountered her… with Akko. She was,” Something inside Diana churns violently, and a deep growl escapes her mouth as she remembers the way Akko’s face contorted in pain when she had a pair of hands locked around her throat. “She was hurting her. They were fighting each other.”

Sucy stands, equally as angry as her. _I should’ve melted that bitch’s face off when I had the chance!_ “And did you do fucking anything?”

“Huh?” Diana blinks, then remembers that she did. “Well yes. Before Akko lost consciousness, I, erm, _punched_ Chloe.” The red team stares at her again and the heiress pales. Not only did she kidnap their teammate, but she also kidnapped her _after_ knocking a student down! Granted, Chloe is an absolute imperious prick of a bitch just for laying a hand on Akko, but it still doesn’t warrant Diana punching her unconscious. They probably thought she was even a bigger jerk than before. “I-I know, it was unethical of me and I should’ve used more peaceful--”

“And?” 

“‘And’?” Diana blinks at Sucy’s sudden addition. “And what?”

“You punched her?” Lotte looks at her like she was disappointed in her. “That’s _it_?”

Diana swallows a lump she didn’t know she had in her mouth. “Well, what did you _want_ me to do?”

Sucy blinks at her then leans back to rub her temples. “So let me get this straight, you saw Akko, who was in heat, fight Chloe, an entire chauvinist, and all you gave her is a single punch?” Diana nods. “To the face?” Diana nods again. “Just _one_ punch to the face?”

“... Well… Yes?”

Sucy leans back again, sneering at Diana like she was the dumbest person in the room. “‘Fucking prefect here saw an entire one-sided fight and just slapped a rapist on the wrist but kidnaps the omega? Do you heiresses even know how to throw a punch?” She stands up, shooting her a disgusted glare. “I bet your knuckles didn’t even hurt. You couldn’t have just put Akko back inside. Did you really have to fucking bring her here? Were you really expecting that we couldn’t find her?”

“What? No!” Diana exclaims, standing up as well. “As I said, it was _unprompted_. I wouldn’t have expected her to be an omega-- I mean, I did, at some point, but--”

“But what?” Lotte shoots back, just as angry. “You’re the de facto alpha, Diana! And even then, it wasn’t any of your business to know about Akko’s conditions!”

The heiress sputters at the beta’s proclamations, her words just hitting right in her chest harshly. “Not my business? Aren’t I Akko’s friend as well!?” 

“Well in the first place, a ‘friend’ does not kidnap them when in heat!” Sucy growls.

“You--”

**_BUMP!_ **

A sudden loud sound resonates from the direction of Diana’s door, stopping them from arguing any longer. The three turned over to its direction, were following it is more series of sounds hitting the floor. There was a slow creak, like a door closing, then more sounds of clothes shuffling against one another. 

Diana blinks, briefly wondering who was making those sounds before it hits her. The trio glances at one another before scrambling out of the living room and huddling around the door. The heiress quickly turns the knob and peers inside, already panicking.

“Akko!?” she calls, looking around the room and her heart drops when she couldn’t see her on the bed. “Oh, sweet Beatrix.”

Just when Diana was going to blast off to the door to look for the omega, there was shuffling on the other side of the room. The three turn over to their left to see the wooden doors of the heiress’s closet hanging open, and on the ground, they see a massive lump of clothes piled together from the closet.

Diana’s mouth opens as she stupors at the door. _M-My clothes!_ Peeking from the edge of the pile, the heiress could see the familiar pink quilt. The pile shuffles again and Sucy shoves her out of her way to enter. Lotte follows.

The red team quickly digs through the clothes, throwing them off their shoulders. Diana slowly steps through, and even though it's her room, the side-glance Lotte sent her told her she was butting in. So she stayed back until she could see the pink quilt hidden underneath all the clothes. The beta gently pulls it back to reveal Akko holding one of Diana’s vest, particularly the one she just shed earlier, to her face, sniffing it. Diana’s eyes widened in shock at the sight. Akko moans when the blanket is pulled away from her face and snuggled into Diana’s shirt, pressing it against her face so closely as though it would disappear.

“Akko,” Lotte whispers, carefully brushing back her bangs away and Diana could see, _smell_ that the omega was sweating profusely again. The sweet blooms of strawberries and sakura spikes and Diana’s knees almost buckled from underneath. 

“What’s-- What’s happening?” Diana asks, not taking her gaze away from Akko.

“It’s a heatwave. And it seems she’s trying to get off from _your_ scent,” Sucy surprisingly answers her. Then the scent of mushroom spikes as well, subtly trying to get Diana to back off. Sucy glances at the heiress from Akko, sneering, “You’re a fucking asshole, Cavendish.”

Diana purses her lips, not knowing what she feels about all this. For the most part, she feels pride for the fact that Akko used _her_ alpha scent to alleviate her heat, then shame again that it was _her_ scent alpha scent used. Lotte and Sucy’s previous aggression returns, making Diana _very_ aware that she shouldn't take another step forward if she wants to save herself from being on the other end of Lotte’s knife and getting burned by Greek Fire. 

“Cavendish?” All of the sudden, Akko sits up from the pile of clothes and she locks eyes with Diana. Her eyes dilate in desire and Diana doesn’t move, almost _wanting_ her to jump in her arms. Then Akko moves, thrashing out of her blanket but Sucy was quick to grab her torso and pull her away.

Diana almost felt herself growling, angry at the fact that another alpha was in the way of the omega finding peace in her arms, yet she quickly pipes the anger down when Lotte shoots her another glare. It should bother her how easily she gets angry when it comes to Akko, yet her alpha felt nothing odd out of it. They had _sex_ , for fuck's sake. Sex to appease the omega's heat. Nothing more, nothing less. 

But then why did her heartache when Akko whines as Sucy pulls her away? Why did it feel so wrong when Akko wasn't with her right now, and instead in the space where Diana's higher mind wouldn't let her reach? 

“Alpha!” The omega whines again as she struggles against Sucy's hold, her scent turning excruciatingly damp when Diana turns away from her. “Alpha…” 

“Akko, she's not your alpha,” Lotte gently cooes, gently patting her back. “Now let’s go back to your nest, okay?” The beta pulls her wand and whispers out a gravity spell on Akko. Then the alpha puts the blanket around her, covering her safely before throwing the omega back on her shoulder. 

Diana’s mouth opens in shock again, staring as the duo walks out of Diana’s room with the omega in tow. “Eek! B-But… Alpha!” Akko whines to the heiress again from Sucy’s back, punching her teammate’s torso but she hardly reacts. “Ngh! Let go! Let go, let go!”

“Calm down, Akko,” Sucy whispers, unfazed. “And like Lotte said, she’s _not_ your alpha.” Akko only growls and continues to punch Sucy’s back. 

“Well, that’s settled,” Lotte whispers and turns to the stumped heiress who continues to stare at the omega thrashing in her blanket over Sucy’s shoulder. “Look, Diana, I don’t exactly have it in me to tell you that you’re a good person and that this was _all_ an accident. You slept with Akko, who is in heat, and from what I studied about omega anatomy, she probably won’t forget you or your scent until then,” Diana’s eyes widen, heart-clenching strangely as she hears those words. “So all I can say is… You’re not allowed to come near her for the next few weeks, okay?”

“What?” Diana is flabbergasted. Not getting to be near Akko for the next few weeks? She can’t even stand not being with her right now! “B-But--”

“ _MERDE!_ ” Professor Chariot suddenly jerks up from the bed, screaming. The four students flinched and Diana could clearly see the sweat gathering on the professor’s forehead. “Oh _mon dieu,_ I just had the most ridiculous nightmare, where Akko was missing and…” Chariot looks around where she was and is now aware that she is not in her private quarters or Akko’s nest. “And Diana was with her…” She becomes aware of the sight of the red team and Diana in front of her then. “And she was on top of her…”

Following her words is a horrifying scream ringing into Diana’s, etched into a forevermore reminder that her punishment for breaking the law won’t be solved in a single night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a clutch! I actually managed to finish Chapter 13 without damaging my mental health lol! But at the cost of that is the art, lmao. This chapter's picture isn't mine nor is it any pixel of pretty but it is damn accurate.
> 
> I should say right now though that this fanfic is going to take a hiatus for the next few weeks. I have a lot of stuff going on right now and I've been wanting to do new stuff. That, and whenever I see my chapter 14 draft, I felt like I wanted to puke. So that's it lmao, I'll see you guys in the next few or so! Rest assured, I won't ever leave this fanfic to rot, not especially when I'm this close. So I hope everyone a blessed new year and happy 2021! :)


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